Sometime Around Midnight
by Jumping out of aeroplaneees
Summary: Austin dropped out of school and left his team to go on tour, completely losing contact with all but Dez. When he returns home for a press conference, he expects the unexpected.
1. Anxiety

**A new story? I think so :) Sorry it took forever to upload, I have been super busy with finals and school, but that is all over now :D Also- This is not the continuation of New Places & New Surroundings. This is a brand new story hehe.**

* * *

Austin sat at his desk, fiddling with his pens and pencils, trying to think of a way to tell Ally, Trish, and Dez the big news. His dreams were finally coming true. He was going to go on a world tour with his band, but doing so meant he had to move to Los Angeles. He already told his family, which they did not take too well, but they knew he was reaching his dream. That was all that mattered. If Austin was happy then they were too.

Ally leaned over her desk and looked at him. She noticed something was wrong with him, but she didn't know what it was. She knew that he trusted her enough that he'd tell her immediately if it was really bothering him.

"Austin," she whispered. "You seem nervous? Are you okay?" she looked at him in concern. He started at her thinking of all of the things he wanted to say. Instead he pushed those thoughts out of his head and simply nodded at her and smiled.

Second period ended and he went to go find Dez to tell him the news first. He wanted to tell everyone but Ally. He was scared. He was going to leave his songwriter. Jimmy suggested she go with him, but Ally wanted to go to college and Austin did not want to ruin that for her. He already stole her song once, but hey, look where it got them.

"Dez," Austin sighed. He was scared, so scared that he started to get goose bumps. He was leaving tomorrow. He should have told his friends months ago, but he was nervous that they would stop talking to him or treat him differently. He was scared about how Ally would react. He knew deep down that she had some sort of feelings for him and he knew for a damn fact that he was in love with her. Breaking her heart would be the worst thing to ever happen to him.

"What's up, buddy?" he gave Austin a cheeky grin, but frowned when he saw that Austin was in a state of distress.

"I'm going on tour," he stuttered, looking down at the ground, kicking a rock. He looked up at Dez and saw that he was grinning. "By myself, with my band. I leave tomorrow," he added and suddenly, Dez started to frown.

"I figured that, bud, but I'm happy for you. Knock 'em dead!" Dez sighed trying to sound happy for him, but he wasn't. He was annoyed that Austin probably knew about this for months, but didn't have the nerve to tell his best friend.

"Why didn't you tell us?" he looked at Austin, who was now sitting on the bench. His head cupped in his hands. Dez knew Austin was trying not to cry. He knew it was serious because Austin Moon never cries.

"What's wrong with Austin?" Trish came waltzing over after talking to her boyfriend, Dominic. Dez had a sense of jealously when it came to Dominic. He never liked Dominic and he never will. Dez secretly loved Trish, but hated to admit it because she was so rude and mean to him sometimes.

"He's going on tour and he doesn't know how to tell Ally," Dez simply replied, patting Austin's back.

Austin just sat there, groaning in frustration. He was so angry with himself that he wanted to cry. His friends knew he was in love with Ally, actually, everyone, but Ally knew.

"The best thing he could do is take her out for dinner one last time," Trish sighed, sitting down next to Austin.

They saw Ally from a distance and quickly nudged Austin to clean up his act. Dez moved over so Ally could sit next to him. Both of them knew Ally was able to calm him down.

"Hey Austin, I saw that you stormed out of class earlier, is everything alright?" Ally smirked, rubbing his back. He loved when she did that; it always relieved some of the stress from him.

"Yeah," he lied. "Just a little stressed about things, no big deal," he smiled.

"Hey, listen, what are you doing tonight?" he added.

"Nothing important, why?"

"Do you want to go out to dinner…with me?" he said.

"As in a d-d-date?" she stuttered and began to smile.

"Yes, as in date," he smiled. "I'll pick you up around five," he said before he walked off.

He was going on a date with Ally. His first real date, but then he realized it would be his first and last date with Ally. He had to make everything special. He wanted everything to be perfect.

* * *

He showed up at her house at exactly five. He was wearing the usual: a button down, jeans, and sneakers. He was nervous to tell her the truth. Ally was wearing the usual herself: a floral dress, boots, and a cardigan. He mentally slapped himself for not asking her out sooner.

* * *

Halfway through dinner, Austin grabbed Ally's hand. He felt his heart racing, he wanted to tell her that he loved her rather than he was leaving, but the truth had to come out soon.

"I love you," was all he managed to say. He looked up at Ally who was tearing up. He didn't know if he hurt her in anyway or if she loved him too.

"Austin," her voice trembled. "Why now?" she sighed.

"Because I love you Ally. I love you! I love you! I love you!" he started to raise his voice, causing the people around him to stare.

"Austin, you're making a scene," she blushed.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he winked, leaving the money on the table.

* * *

When he reached her house to drop her off, she noticed he looked guilty about something. He was guilty. He still had no idea how to tell her that he was leaving tomorrow morning.

"Goodnight," he smiled, pulling her in for a hug.

"Goodnight, Austin," she blushed and kissed his cheek. This was his time; he had to do it before he left. For the three years he has known her, he always wondered what it was like being her boyfriend and kissing her.

He cupped her face and pulled her closer. Their lips were barely touching before she latched her arms around him. "I love you," was all she said before he kissed her.

"I love you too. Forever and always," he grinned before kissing her again. This kiss was different, he poured every emotional into it, letting her know how he truly felt, and guilty was one of them.

* * *

When Austin left, Ally went up into her room to call Trish and tell her the news. She kept thinking to herself that things are now going to be different. Her and Austin would be together and she wouldn't have to worry about accidently telling him she liked him.

"Austin told you he was leaving? How are you handling it?" Trish said, causing Ally to feel as if she was going to throw up. All she could think was that he kissed her and left.

"He's leaving?" she started to cry.

"Tomorrow morning, he's going on a world tour and after that he's moving to Los Angeles," Trish said sympathetically. Ally sat there, sobbing. She didn't understand why someone, especially Austin would do that to her.

"He told me he loved me," her voice faded.

"Nothing else?" Trish sighed.

"No. He kissed me and left…that jerk!" Ally yelled and hung up. She sat on her bed and continued to cry. There was nothing she could do. All she could do was cry and hope that he made a mistake. She would hope that he would come home from tour and sweep her off of her feet, kiss her, and tell her he loves her. But that would never happen; he was going off to tour the world without her…his best friend and songwriter.


	2. Four Years

_Four Years Ago_

Austin returned to Miami for a few weeks after tour to finish packing up the house. His parents decided they were moving to Los Angeles too. They transferred the mattress store to Burbank and sold the house within weeks. Austin was hoping that they would stay in Miami so he could come back to see Ally, Trish, and Dez, but that was never going to happen again. He wanted to call Ally and apologize, but he couldn't find the nerve too. He was so scared that she would never forgive him and he didn't want to deal with what was going to happen next.

Ally on the other hand got accepted to NYU's fine art program. She roomed with her new friend, Rachel, who was a lot like Trish. When Ally left Miami, she didn't tell Dez where she was going. She was terrified that he would tell Austin and within hours, he'd be at her doorstep. Trish moved to Boston to attend business school and beauty school at night. She wanted to open up her own salon and live her own dream. To be honest, helping out Team Austin was her dream, but after Austin left, everything started to fall apart. Ally barely talked to Trish and she understood that. Trish knew what Ally was going through, she was never mad at Ally rather she was mad at Austin for not telling her.

_Three Years Ago_

Ally paced back and forth in the bookstore, thinking about so many things. She was still furious at Austin. He never called her after he left. But part of her didn't want to be mad at him. She understood where he came from. He was scared. He was doing this all alone. She wasn't sure why he didn't ask any of them to tag along with him. She still loved him and she would never stop.

The tabloid section of the bookstore made her upset. Everywhere she went she would see pictures of Austin's face. Everyday it was a different story. She has read things such as; "Austin Moon and Kira Starr," "Austin Moon caught outside of a club in LA," and so on. She was absolutely horrified at the type of person he has become. She kept telling herself that she didn't want to have anything to do with Austin, but that little voice inside of her head told her to keep waiting and so she did.

Austin was so sick of the image that Hollywood gave him. He wanted nothing but a regular life. Instead he had the image of the typical sleaze bag guy, which he never was. He made a promise to himself that he would wait for Ally. He did not care if she had a boyfriend the next time he saw her, he wanted to apologize for everything that happened. He loved her more than anyone could imagine.

He felt so guilty about it too. If he never stole her song, he wouldn't be where he was. He wouldn't be this far without her. She was his other half; the half that kept his sanity down, his anxiety lower. She was his sidekick through everything and he let that go. Everyday he wondered how she was doing. He thought about calling her a few times, but never did. He was too afraid to even talk to her after what happened.

_Two Years Ago_

Austin convinced Dez to move out to Los Angeles to pursue his film career. It took a few months of apologizing, but he finally did. Dez always wanted to move on the west coast to pursue his film career. He didn't need Austin to force him to move to Los Angeles, he was going to do it anyway. The debate was whether or not to face Austin. He wasn't really mad at him, but rather upset that he left. Austin didn't need to apologize to Dez, but he felt it was necessary. Dez would forgive him no matter what happened.

Dez packed up everything and moved out to Los Angeles. The first few months were awkward between them, but after catching up, things were like normal again. They hung out everyday, played silly antics on one another, filmed music videos, but never talked about Ally or Trish. Dez knew well enough to not bring Ally up. He wasn't exactly sure what happened because Trish and Ally never told him. He knew Austin was still impacted by it, so he never brought it up. One night, he tried to call Ally, but she hung up immediately. He tried again and all she could do was cry. She didn't want to deal with him.

_Last Year _

Ally got over the fact that Austin left. She was having mixed emotions about it, but she realized that he would always be there for her. She also reconciled with Trish who was way beyond thrilled to have her best friend back. A few weeks ago, Austin played a show in New York. Ally was considering going, but she was scared that he would call her out in the crowd if he saw her.


	3. Home

_Present Day_

The only people Austin is in contact with are Dez and his family. Dez recently moved out to Los Angeles to pursue his film career and to keep Austin company. Things haven't changed between them, besides the fact that they are both 21 and are able to drink legally. They usually went to the bar on Friday and have a beer or two and just talk.

Austin's mom left him a letter on the counter from Marino High School, something Austin never wanted to see. He was embarrassed that he dropped out of high school just to be famous. He would have rather been no one than someone. He opened the letter and sighed.

_"Austin Moon,_

_We would like to have you back this spring to play our spring bash. It would mean a lot to the community if you could join us one last time. _

_-Jonathan Richards_

_Principal"_

_Go back to Miami and play their spring bash…why me?_ He thought. Spring is coming soon. He would have to leave and get ready in the next month, then go straight on tour.

Austin paced back and forth in the kitchen trying to figure out what to say to the school. Would he do it?

"Hello, may I speak to Jonathan Richards, please?" his voice trembled. He was nervous. He left Miami in such a rush, and it hurts him to think about it.

"This is he, may I ask who this is?" Jonathan asked.

"It's Austin Moon," he sighed and paced back and forth.

"Austin Moon, it's been a while since I have seen you, what are you up to?" he asked.

"Nothing really. Finished up a world tour three years ago, I've been in Los Angeles recording some stuff and doing mini tours. Hey, I got your letter about the spring bash."

"We need to know in the next few days if you want to do it," Jonathan cut him off.

"I'll do it, you can count on me. When is the date again?" He asked. It was not unusual for Austin to perform the spring bash. He would do it every year in high school.

"Its early this year. The date is March 4."

He looked at the calendar and realized that he would have to leave in a few days. Not a month, but a few days. How the hell was he going to figure this out?

"I'll leave tomorrow for Miami, I'll see you on the fourth," he sighed, immediately purchasing a flight ticket for him and Dez.

"We're looking forward to having you again, why don't you stop by the high school again and take a tour? We'd love to see you and possibly Dez if you're still in contact with him." He said and hung up.

"Leave for Miami…tomorrow morning?" Dez looked at Austin in suspicion. He was hesitant at first, but if it meant seeing Trish he was down for it. "Okay! I'm down," he grinned.

"I already booked the tickets, so there wasn't really an option," he laughed. "Maybe we can stop by to see Dallas and Elliot if they're still living there," he suggested.

"That's a great idea!" he high fived him. "Have you told Kelly you were leaving her for a few days?" he asked.

"Nope, to be honest, things aren't working out with us. I'd rather keep it on the down low."


	4. Miami

They arrived in Miami early in the morning and immediately checked into their hotel. It's a shame that Elliot moved to Georgia and Dallas is out in New Jersey, it could have saved them a whole bunch of money.

They reached the high school to tour after settling in. Nothing much has changed besides the fact that girls were star-struck over Austin. Immediately walking down the halls, girls were whispering, pointing, and awing over him.

"This place is weird," he said quietly, but loud enough for only Dez to hear.

They walked around the halls, reminiscing about things. Austin seemed to have a train of guilt every place he walked past that him and Ally shared a moment.

They walked down the hallways looking for Mr. Richards, but instead, teenage girls wanting pictures and autographs were ambushing Austin. They must have spent at least twenty minutes taking pictures with Austin Moon fans. After the crowd died down, Austin leaned over to whisper something in Dez' ear. "I don't remember Marino High being like this. Since when did girls freak out over me? It's a little weird," he sighed.

"Yeah a little bit, let's leave and go to the food court," Dez shrugged, saving his friend from a mental breakdown. Dez knows when Austin is feeling down about things and he knew damn sure that good memories, which were now bad memories were haunting him.

They reached the food court and Dez immediately noticed something different…Sonic Boom was gone. It was like all of Austin's past was gone. Dez never really knew what happened between him and Ally the night he left, but he never wanted to bring it up to him. He knew Austin was hurt after he left and Dez knew for a fact that Ally hasn't been herself. She refused to talk to Trish and him for the longest time and if they brought up Austin she would get furious. Trish is the only one that knew what happened, but he refrained himself from asking her.

"Something seems different," Austin stuttered causing Dez to quickly look around the food court trying to find a store that has changed, but Sonic Boom was the only one.

"Minis looks different," he shrugged, hoping Austin would not know the difference.

"That's probably it. Hey, wasn't there a music store over there?" he pointed to the now clothing store. _Dammit_, Dez quietly muttered to himself.

"Sonic Boom…" Austin whispered, choking on his own words. He wondered to himself if Sonic Boom recently closed, or if when he left it closed.

"I'm sorry, man," Dez sighed and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I wonder how she's doing," his voice trailed off. Dez looked at him for a few seconds. Dez knew Austin wanted to cry, he was his best friend, he knew these things.

"I still love her and she won't even talk to me," he sighed and sat down on the bench. He placed his head in his hands and started to tear up. Austin never cries.

"What happened the night you left?" Dez asked. He knew it was a risky thing to ask, especially seeing Austin in a state of distress.

"I kissed her and left. I told her I loved her and left. I couldn't tell her the truth. I was a coward. I tried calling her two years ago and she hung up. I tried again and all she could do was cry. I hurt her so much and I feel so guilty about it. Dez, I am a terrible person. I am in love with her and I will never stop loving her," he sobbed. Dez had no idea it was that serious. He thought it was an argument; he had no idea that Austin poured all of his emotions in one sentence. They sat there for an hour or two until Austin finally stable enough to return to the school and meet with Mr. Richards.

* * *

"Austin Moon," Mr. Richards shook his hand to greet him. "Dez Fisher, it's great to see you," he smiled. "You too," Dez smiled. "What time should Austin set up?" he asked and Mr. Richards shrugged. "Whenever you want to. The bash is tomorrow at 11, so be there around 9:30 just to check in and rehearse. Is Miss Dawson joining you guys?" he asked and Austin's jaw clenched. He started to feel like he was going to pass out…again. "No, she's not," Dez sighed. "We sort of all lost connection with each other," he explained. "Oh, well that's a shame," Mr. Richards sighed. "You and Ally looked great together, Austin," he stated and Austin just stared at the ground.

* * *

"Hello, I'm Austin Moon," he faked a smile while the audience cheered. "This song was written by an old friend of mine, it's called 'You Can Come to Me," he mumbled into the microphone. While Austin was playing, Dez was standing in the back with some of his old teachers, catching up. The more each of them were in Miami, the more they realized that they have given up so much, especially Austin.

"Okay, well, I'll be hanging around if you guys have questions, want to sign an autograph, or take a picture," Austin mumbled and walked off the stage.

They stayed for a couple of hours to answer questions and take pictures. Austin's mood was slowly falling downhill. He missed Ally more than he ever has. He needed her in his life again.


	5. New York Rain

** Heyyyo! Sorry I haven't been updating :( I have a summer internship. I have been so busy with things, but I will try my hardest to update. :)**

**-Also. I do not intend on this story being long at all. I am currently working on the sequel to New Places and New Surroundings (yay!)**

**Thank you!**

* * *

He arrived to New York and it was dark and pouring out. He could barely see anything besides the lights and cars. It was cold and he just wanted to get to find a hotel and go to bed.

"Taxi," he yelled, but none of them stopped.

"You have to kick your foot out like this," a person came up next to him and kicked their foot out. They were short. He couldn't tell what they looked like because it was so dark out, and them having a hood over their head wasn't a plus either.

"You're obviously not from here," she laughed. "What brings ya here?"

"I have a photo-shoot and press conference, I'm a musician," he reached his hand out to shake hers.

"Ah so I'm guessing you're famous?" She shook his hand. When their hands touched it felt a spark between them. It's crazy, he just met this girl and something about her makes him feel like he has known her forever.

"Pretty much," he sighed, disappointed. He absolutely hated being famous. He gave up so much, just to achieve his dreams.

"What's wrong with being famous? I had a friend that would have killed to be famous. It's funny, I see his face on magazines sometimes," she sighed, looking at him. She thought she knew him, but doubted it. There was no way he was who she thought he was.

"It's just I thought it would be great, but I gave up my friends for it and I regret every damn second of it. We're you close with your friend?" he asked. He thought she was talking about him for a second, but then he though to himself, _how did she even know him?_

"We were really close, he left one night and never really said goodbye," her voice trailed off, causing Austin to shiver. He thought about what happened with Ally and tried really hard to figure out what to tell her. He couldn't say anything; he was scared that he'd open up too much.

"Wow. I'm sorry to hear that. He's a jerk, I would have been mad too," he said sympathetically. "Why don't we talk about it over some coffee?" he suggested, hoping to get to know this girl more.

"I would love to, but I have to get home. My roommate wants to have girl's night. Maybe we'll run into each other again?" she asked before getting into the taxi. "Hey what's your name?" she yelled out the window.

"Austin Moon," he yelled, causing her heart to stop. It was funny, Austin Moon. She hasn't heard his voice in years, yet it still felt comforting to her. When he said his name all of these emotions came back to her. Inhale. Exhale, she whispered to herself, taking deep breaths. Austin Moon, she shivered.


	6. One Chance

"Sir, can you stop?" she asked, rummaging through her bag looking for money.

"Right here?" he asked.

"Yes, stop dammit. Keep the change," she yelled before running a few blocks to still find him trying to call a taxi.

"You said you were Austin Moon," she yelled, causing him to turn around.

"Yeah, do you want an autograph or a picture? I'm sorry if that sounded cocky. It's just my hometown Miami bombarded me yesterday," he lightly laughed.

"No, but I have a question," she asked and he just stared at her. "What is it?" he replied.

"Why did you leave me?" she asked and Austin's heart stopped. He thought it was a dream. He had no idea that he was talking to Ally.

"Ally?" he mumbled and looked down at her. The more he stared at her, the more he saw her face. He kept mentally slapping himself, making him believe that it was a dream. New York is a huge city and the idea of running into the person he has been pining to see terrified him. He was so scared on what she was going to say next.

"Why did you leave me?" she asked again, completely ignoring him.  
"I left because I was scared. Ally, I have been in love with you since day one. I wanted you to come, trust me, I really did, but all you talked about was college and your dreams. I left you because I wanted you to reach your own personal dreams about going to college, conquering stage fright, performing on stage, getting signed, and living every other dream you have," he yelled making Ally furious. Every emotion she has felt in the past four years were happening all at once. She kept it in for so long that she had to tell him how she truly felt.

"What makes you think you leaving would have made me reach my dreams? Austin, you are so blind sometimes. Do you even remember what you told me? I bet you don't. You told me that we would live our dreams together. What part of you leaving me for four years after kissing me makes it seem like we would be living our dreams together? I would have gone on tour with you. I gave up so much for you and I was willing to do it again. You were running away from your problems, like you have done multiple times during high school," she yelled. "Whatever, I hope you have a nice life in Hollywood" she spat and started to walk down the street.

He stood there in shock. Little, innocent, naïve, Ally has changed. The four years he was away, she grew into this confident, bold, courage, young lady. That terrified him. She was probably better off without him, but after seeing her, he needed her more than he ever did. He ran down the street in pouring ran, catching up to her. He had no idea how much he hurt her and he needed to make things right between them. Even if it were awkward between them, he would take it.

"Ally wait," he yelled and grabbed her by the waist. "Austin, it is pouring out and I just want to go home," she said, her voice shaky because she was crying.  
"Can you just hear me out?" he asked and she said nothing. "I'm not letting go of you until you listen to me," he whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver. His touch still made her feel like she had butterflies in her stomach.

"I've always loved you. I will never stop, Als. I was scared and I did runaway from my problems, but the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you. I was so desperate to reach my dreams that I was selfish and didn't think about my friends. The night I took you out, I wanted to tell you that I was leaving, but instead I told you something I've wanted to tell you since I have met you. Ally, you're the only one for me. Forget anything you have read in the tabloids or have seen on the television shows. I am so sorry about everything, Als. You just need to trust me. I need you more than you could imagine," he whispered and kissed her forehead. She instantly stopped putting up a fight with him and just let him hold her. Before she could say anything, he tightened his grip around her waist. "I love you, forever and always."

It was dark and rainy, but they didn't care. They just stood there. Every judgment she had made about him the past four years were wrong. She made him the villain in her thoughts, but instead, no one was the villain. She imagined herself running into Austin at one of his shows and he would pull her backstage and tell her he was sorry for everything. She didn't picture herself in the pouring rain in the middle of the night running into him. Forever and always kept running through her head. Austin was still the same, maybe a little more misguided, but he was still everything she wanted to remember.

"I'm sorry Austin, but I can't," she sighed, releasing herself from his grip. "Ally, wait," he yelled, but it was too late, she was already down the street.

"Taxi," he yelled. Miraculously, hailing a cab on his own.

"Where to, sir?" the man asked. "Follow that girl," he sighed, pulling out his credit card. He followed her for blocks until he saw her walk into a building. "Stop right here, sir," he said, handing him his card. "Thank you," he sighed, grabbed his card, and ran out of the cab with his bags.

Ally quickly ran into her apartment and to the elevator to avoid Austin. She wasn't ready to speak to him about everything. "Ally wait," she heard and quickly pressed the button, but he managed to get inside before the doors closed. "Austin, I'm not having it right now, just go away," she sobbed, but Austin wasn't going to leave. "I'm not leaving until you hear me out. Ally, New York is a huge city and running into you wasn't luck or chance. It was fate. I knew we would be together one day and you did too. Fate brought us together. I know you still love me because you wouldn't be crying right now," he mumbled, cupping her face. "I love you more than you could imagine, Als." She looked off to the side, trying not to make eye contact with him. She still loved him, but she didn't want to. What he did ruined her and she never wanted to forgive him.

"I'm sorry, but no. Austin, I'm just not ready," she sighed. "Please," he pleaded. "One chance. Ally, if I screw it up, then you can never speak to me again, just give me one chance," he begged. She stood there for a few seconds looking at him. He was soaking wet from the rain, his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. The first time she looked into his eyes she realized how upset he was over this, she knew that he never cried. She knew that he was seconds away from crying. "Fine," she mumbled. "One chance and if you mess it up, that's it," she said, her voice hoarse, wiping away the tears.

He looked down at her and grinned. He hasn't been this happy in a while. "Really?" he whispered. "Mhmmm," she replied. "One chance, Austin and if you leave me again, I'm done."


	7. Reminiscing

Hey hi hello! I'm not exactly happy with this chapter. It has been rewritten at least four times. I will probably update it when I get back from my camping trip which will be Monday night! ahhhh!

Thank you cupcakegirl786 for your lovely comment :') and there is definitely more to this story!

And rauraauslly, someone is not going to break them up! There will be tension between them still, but stay tuned 3

Ahh okay! Thank you all for reviewing :') Chapter 8 will be up either Monday night or Tuesday afternoon 3

* * *

_One chance_, he thought. One chance could change everything. He knows when he returns home, he'll miss her more than ever. It'll hit him harder this time, knowing that she loves him almost as much as he loves her. They've matured a lot over the years, but it was still innocent love. They still gushed over each other as much as they did in high school. He thought about moving to New York to stay with her, but he loved it in Los Angeles. He loved being near his family and best friends, but he was willing to sacrifice that if it meant being with her.

"I have a crazy idea," he started and she looked at him in confusion. "What is it?" she asked and he smirked. "Move to Los Angeles with me."

She pressed the button to go up into her loft, completely ignoring what he just said. "Move in with you?" she finally replied.

"Yes. Ally, you heard me. Move in with me."

"I think my roommate is sleeping. We'll need to be quiet," she whispered and quickly left the elevator with Austin trailing behind her.

She opened the doors to her loft and turned on the lights. He looked all around the place, admiring her taste in decoration. It was everything she imagined in high school. She would constantly tell Austin how she wanted her dream apartment to be when she was older. The floors were hardwood; the walls were yellow and white, and the couch was black. He looked over at one of her walls and saw that there were pictures of her, Dez, and Trish, but none of him. "Nice wall," he mumbled. Ally looked over at him and instantly felt bad that she cut him out. "Thanks, but it's missing a few things," she whispered. "Like?" he asked. "Picture of us. When you left I couldn't even think about you. I was so pissed off at you, but I'm slowly getting over it," she replied.

"Well, if you need pictures of us, I kept them all. Even the most embarrassing ones of us," he laughed. "I might take your offer on that," she replied and sat down on the couch.

They sat there for an hour talking about things, apologizing, and catching up. Ally was fascinated in Austin's tour stories, but mainly the fact that he hasn't written a song since he left. He hasn't replaced her in anyway. She loved that Austin never forgot about her, but part of her was still furious at him. Austin enjoyed listening to Ally's stories and achievements, but the more he listened, the sadder he got. He realized that she achieved so much without him, almost as if she didn't need him as much as he needed her.

"Ally," he whispered causing her head to turn to face him. He kept staring at her, admiring how beautiful she was. Not much has changed about her. Besides the fact that she de-ombréd her hair and was taller. She had the same personality, the same awkwardness, but something was different, he couldn't figure out what though. "Yes?" she whispered.

He inched closer and closer to her causing her heart to race. "Do you remember the day we met?" he asked and all of her hopes and dream of him sweeping her off her feet had fallen. She wanted him to kiss her so badly, but instead she brushed it off and simply replied, "Yes. You were playing the drums with corndogs," she laughed. "Why do you ask?"

"Dez and I were going through old video a few weeks ago and we found a whole bunch of all of us. I haven't watched them though; they're sitting here on my laptop. He explained, pulling his MacBook out of his bag. He propped himself up on the couch, resting his head against the wall. "Come here," he whispered, patting the spot next to him. Ally moved over and curled up next to him, nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck. They spent for what it seemed hours watching videos of their journeys. One video in particular stood out. It was of Austin performing at Time Square a few years ago. That video made him realize how much Ally gave up for him. She would never have her chance at doing what she loves because of her stage fright and because he tied her down. He was so sad at the thought that Ally was fine without him. Maybe it wasn't fate. Maybe it was a way of letting him know that things change and the past cannot be repeated.

"I'm so sorry," he mumbled into her hair. "Austin," she sighed. "The past is the past. I forgave you the last hundred times you apologized," she lightly laughed.

"Ally," he paused. "I wouldn't be where I am now without you. You did all of this and I just left you. I could never forgive myself. I hate myself for leaving you. Maybe this isn't fate after all. I mean you can't repeat the past and that's why I'm trying to do," he yelled in a hushed tone.

"The past is the past, Austin. Of course you can't repeat it, otherwise there would be dinosaurs everywhere, Kennedy would be president and drugs wouldn't be under control. We learn from our mistakes and we forgive and forget. I'm slowly forgiving you," she mumbled before drifting off to sleep. When he knew she was completely asleep, he picked her up and put her in her room and then went into the living room.

He stayed up for a while, trying to write a song. He wanted to let her know that he has changed. He was more mature than before and that he was able to write a song. The song had to be personal and about Ally. He sat there thinking on verses, chorus lines, and hooks. It was around midnight when he finally had half of a song down.


	8. Decisions

Hi! I know I said Monday, but I was really busy with work :( and I'm sorry it is so late and stuff because I just got back from One Direction!

Okay! Enjoy

* * *

The sunlight was beaming in the living room. Austin woke up expecting to find Ally already awake, but she wasn't. He called out Ally's name a few times, but there was no answer. He was disappointed at first, but knowing her, she probably had work.

He got off the couch and walked into the hallway looking for her, instead, he found her roommate. She was pretty, short, and blonde, almost like Cassidy. Actually, she was a lot like Cassidy.

"Where did Ally go?" he asked, still half asleep.

"You're Austin Moon," she stuttered. "I'm Rachel, her roommate. Ally stepped out to get breakfast, she should be back in a few minutes," she replied.

"That I am. It's nice to meet you, Rachel," he smiled. "So, did Ally ever mention anything about me?" he asked and she sighed. "Yeah, a lot of things. She told me about all the fun times you guys have had," she replied. "You know what happened right?" he asked and she nodded. "You put my friend through hell, Moon. I'm trusting you to fix things," she said and left.

"Strange," he whispered to himself and went into the bathroom.

"Austin?" Ally yelled through the kitchen.  
"Yes?" he replied, walking down the hallway.

"Oh good, you're up!" she smiled, handing him a box. He immediately smelled pancakes the second he walked into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Als," he beamed, taking the box from her hand.

"Oh, Rachel, you've met Austin," Ally smiled.

"Yep, you know Gracie, an Austin Moon fan," she laughed before heading into her room.

"Als, about my chance" he mumbled, trying to think of a way to put it. He didn't want to offend her in anyway possible.

"Austin, I forgave you from running off the first time. I think you going home will be the least of my troubles. We'll call, text, I'll visit you, you visit me, it'll be great," she smiled. Deep down, she was still feeling a sense of hurt from him. She knew that things were still awkward between them. She could feel the tension between them. Just last night she didn't want to have anything to do with him. Now she could care less if he went home, she knew that things wouldn't be the same again.

"Ally you don't understand," he yelled.

She looked at him in shock. She didn't know what to say to him. She thought long and hard about what she was going to say next. If she said something that might have offended him, he would leave, and that's not what she wanted. If Austin left her again, she wouldn't know what to do.

"Enlighten me," was all she was able to say.

Austin sat down at the table and sighed. He didn't mean to word his last phrase like that. In fact, he didn't even know what to say, he was so tied up in getting Ally back in his life, that he had no idea what was going to happen next.

"I don't want to rush into a relationship with you and then screw it up again," he sighed and then looked at her. "Then lets stay friends and see where it takes us," she retorted.

He got up and wrapped his arms around her. "But the problem is I want you," he whispered in her ear. "I want to wake up next to you in the mornings, write songs with you, and want everything to be normal with us."

She felt safe in his arms, she always has and regardless on how mad she was at him in the past, he always made her feel safe. He was her sense of security and having that deprived of her was such a terrifying feeling. Having Austin in her life again was the scariest yet most thrilling feeling ever, and she would do anything to keep him.

"Move out to Los Angeles with me," he whispered into her hair. Her eyes immediately lit up when he asked her again to move in. It was such a risky thing to do, what if they didn't work out? Would she move back to New York or would she have to stay in Los Angeles and deal with accidently running into him?

She looked up at him and sighed. "That's such a risky move, Austin, what if this turns into a disaster? What will Rachel do?"

"I'll move in with my boyfriend, he's been wanting me to do that since last year," Rachel yelled from the hallway causing Austin and Ally to lightly laugh.

Austin looked over at the clock and saw that he was already running 10 minutes late for his press conference. "I have to go. I'm running late, I'll be over later to pick up my bags and stuff. You'll be home, right?" he asked and she nodded. "I see you later," he yelled before running out the door with his pancakes.


	9. Memories

Ally sat on the couch and sighed. She had no idea what she was going to do and how the hell she was going to tell Trish. Her and Austin haven't spoken in four years and suddenly the pick things back up. She was worried that he had some deep, dark, personal, secret that he didn't tell her. She was scared that he was trying to get out of a relationship with another girl.

She trusted Austin so much in the past, but after leaving without telling her, she was not sure. She wasn't sure what would happen if she moved in with him. She questioned whether or not she would enjoy being bombarded with paparazzi and fan girls of Austin. She wasn't sure if she was ready to get hate from die-hard Austin Moon fans. She liked being ordinary Ally.

Rachel came walking into the living room and sat down next to Ally. She knew Ally was torn about this idea. "Ally, you have to make up your mind. I'll be fine moving in with Eric. If you truly loved Austin, you would do this," she suggested.

"Yeah, but what if something goes wrong? This whole thing is like a fairy tale. He left me and then miraculously, we found each other again. But there is always a plot twist. What if he has a girlfriend back in LA?" she groaned in frustration. Ally always over thinks things. It's just the way she is.

"I doubt it. Fate is fate. Plus, he is crazy about you," Rachel laughed. She has secretly wanted them to get back together since Ally told her the story. "He'll be back in a few hours, what are you going to tell him?" she interjected.

"No. I'm not moving to Los Angeles. I can't do this. I can't drop everything just to be with the guy of my dreams. There's always a plot twist in cases like these, and I know I'm setting myself up for one." She sighed and walked into her room.

Ally walked into her room and saw that a book sitting on her nightstand. It must be Austin's journal. She wanted to read it so badly, but she knew it would be wrong. She went with her gut and opened the book and started to read it. There were lyrics scribbled all over the place, notes about a mystery girl (which was Ally), ideas for a photo-shoot, lists of phone numbers and most importantly his thoughts. The more she read his book, the more realized that he was lonely without her and he needed her. Not for songs or anything, rather he needs her as his friend again. She realized that he was miserable on tour and that he hated his life. She flipped the page to find a more recent page. She knew it because it was scribbled in her pink pen and she knows Austin would never use a pink pen. They were lyrics to a song. _He actually wrote a song,_ she thought to herself. She read it and loved it. It was a lot better than the pioneer ranger song he wrote back in high school she thought.

_"I'm okay, I'm doing just fine. Everyone back home has finally moved on. I know it's been awhile, but these highway lines just got me thinking. I thought I'd let you know no matter where we go, or what we do. You'll affect me more than you could ever know."_

It took her a while to register the lyrics. The longer she read over it, she knew how lonely he was and having the possibly dealing with depression. He wasn't the joyful, cheeky, cheery Austin she knew. He was now sad, angry, and lonely. She had to move out to Los Angeles. She flipped a couple pages back to read about the mystery girl, which she knew it was about her.

She laughed at the thought that he still kept her old high school yearbook photos. She gave them to him as a joke, but he kept them anyway, tucked away in between pages. She felt bad for throwing his into a box in the back of her closet into the box of bad memories. When she finished invading his book, she fetched the box out of her closet and started looking at things.

She jumped when she heard her door open.

"Hello?" she yelled.

"Als are you here? Rachel let me up," Austin asked. His voice tired and annoyed.

"In my room," she replied.

He walked slowly into her room and groaned. "I hate New York."

"It's not that bad," she shrugged, causing him to lightly laugh.

He climbed onto her bed and slid his arm around her. "LA is a lot better," he suggested.

"Speaking on LA," he added. "Have you made up your mind yet?"

She shrugged and continued looking at things in the box. She still had no idea. She was obsessing on how great that song was, that she forgot about everything else.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I guess. It's just like we're back to our old selves again and it's like us not talking for four years never happened," she sighed. Austin's heart immediately sunk into his stomach. He wanted this to work out so badly, but realized she had a point in this and he hated to admit that she was right.

"I guess I'm rushing things," he mumbled.

"No. Don't blame yourself on this. I'm just nervous about moving out to LA," she sighed.

"So you're thinking about it?" He grinned.

"Yeah. I just don't know how I'm going to explain to my family that I'm going back into the music industry."

He ignored her thought and looked down at the box. "What's this?" he asked. She looked up at him and grinned. "Things," she smiled.

He sat up next to her, Indian style looking at all of these items in this huge box. "What is all of this?" he asked again. "Stuff I collected over the four years I have known you. Like this," she laughed, picking up a harmonica. "Was this when it got stuck in the old lady and Dez had to give her the Heimlich maneuver?" he asked and she nodded. "Hey, I remember this" he beamed, picking up the ski mask. "This was when you left your songbook in Trish's ice cream cart," and she nodded.

"Butch and bitey!" he yelled. "How did you get that back?" he asked. "Trish got it for me," she smiled. He looked over at her and noticed her 'Ally' necklace. He got that for her for her birthday seven years ago. He was amazed that she kept it. "I just noticed you kept the necklace I got you," he whispered and she nodded. "I kept everything you gave me. Even when I was pissed at you, I kept everything. There were days when I wanted to toss it, but then I would be throwing out a huge piece of me," she sighed and he put his arm around her. "I'm glad I'm still a part of you," he whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.

* * *

fyi. the lyrics are not mine :') my friend helped me pick out lyrics for this! wee.


	10. Goodbye

They sat there in silence for a couple of seconds. For being just friends, they were pretty close, actually extremely close. Her head turned to face him. She wanted to speak, but could not find the words to do so. Austin sighed and smiled at her. She still tried to speak, but her words were trapped. He inched his face closer to hers so their foreheads were touching.

He knew he was testing the waters. It was far too risky to even attempt it, but it felt right. He knew the moment was right and so did she. The question was whether or not he was going to make the first move. He placed a quick peck on her lips and immediately moved his head back.

"I am so sorry. I crossed the line," he mumbled and quickly got up.

Ally grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down. "You did not cross the line," she assured.

"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded.

"I am positive, now go to sleep."

Austin's phone went off around 5:30 in the morning. He looked over at Ally and debated whether or not to wake her up. He silently got dressed and went into the bathroom to get ready. The fact that he was leaving tonight killed him. He wanted to stay as long as possible or maybe until she agreed to move out with him.

Ally woke up around 5:45 and saw that Austin was gone. She was disappointed that he left…again.

She walked around the living room and sat on the couch and sighed. She didn't even notice that her door was propped open.

Around 6:15, she heard the door open and looked over to find Austin. She looked at him in confusion. She wasn't sure why he left and came back.

"I got us coffee down the street. I didn't want to wake you up," he smiled at her. Suddenly, she felt better. She needed to stop worrying about her and Austin. She knew it was going to work out, but didn't understand why she kept telling herself that it wasn't going to work out.

"I thought you left for your flight early," she awkwardly laughed.

"Nope, I figured since you get up early, I should try it too. I was going to wake you up right about now if you were still sleeping," he smirked, plopping down next to her.

"You should have woken me up," she sighed, grabbing a coffee out of his hand.

"Sorry!" he pouted. She could never be mad at his pouts. She thought they were the cutest things ever. "You still remember how much cream and sugar I like in my coffee?" she asked. He nodded and she immediately blushed. "Of course, after spending hours of writing songs until sundown and sunrise and being on coffee duty, I remember," he grinned.

"Have you made up your mind?" he asked her once again. Her mind was telling her yes, but she was telling herself no. She was so conflicted in whether or not to move out to Los Angeles.

Flashback

_"Austin, what if I don't make it in New York when I'm older?" she asked, pacing back and forth in the music room._

_"Ally, you have to take risks in life and if you're serious about it. Do it. If you fall down, pick yourself back up. Never be scared to take a risk. Something good always comes out in the end," he smirked and continued to play the piano. _

End

"You have to take risks in life," Austin added, causing Ally to smile.

"I'll do it," she nervously sighed.

Austin knew she wasn't completely sure about it. If she didn't want to, he understood. He would move out to her if she didn't want to. He was really hoping to stay in Los Angeles though. He would miss Dez and his other friends.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and she nodded trying to convince herself.

"I'm 100% sure. I'll do it," she smiled.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he looked at her.

"I want do and that's final. I'm moving to Los Angeles," she gave him an assuring smile, making damn sure he believed what she said.

"Als!" he beamed, picking her up. "This is the best day ever!" twirling her around and causing her to laugh. He put her down and sighed. "So when do you want to leave?" he asked.

She thought about saying right now, but she forgot to about Rachel, selling her apartment, telling her parents, and figuring out how she was going to pay for all of this. "No idea. I have to figure out a lot of stuff still," she sighed.

"Like?"

"Selling the apartment, helping Rachel move out, telling my parents, money for all of this," she sighed.

"We'll talk about it. If you're actually serious, we'll figure it out. Now excuse me, I have to make a phone call," he sighed.

She looked at him in confusion while he was dialing a number.

Austin fake-coughed and sounded groggy. "Hi, Dez, it's me. Yeah, I have news to tell you," he smirked and hung up.

"Austin, you didn't have to hang up so quickly," she looked at him and frowned.

"Not for you, I just wanted some more sleep," he yawned and made his way into her room.

Ally laughed to herself as he was walking down the hall. He was the same Austin she loved, probably a little bit lazier, but not much has changed. She got up from the couch, placed his coffee on the counter, and went back to her room. When she reached her room, Austin was already sound asleep in bed. She felt so bad on how sleep deprived he was.

Once Ally was awake, she could not fall back asleep. It didn't matter how hard she tried she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep.

Instead, she went into the kitchen to call her parents about the news.

She sighed and dialed her home. "Mom, dad, hi, it's me. I know I haven't spoken to you guys in a couple of days and I'm sorry. But call me whenever you get the chance. There is something I need to tell you. Alright, I love you, bye." She hung up and groaned.

She went back into her room and looked over at Austin. He was still sleeping. This was probably the most sleep he has had in a while. She went into the studio to work on a new song, something she hasn't done since Austin left. Once he was gone, she didn't have a reason to write music anymore. Hours must have passed before he walked into the studio.

"Finally," she sighed, closing her songbook.

He sat down next to her and smirked. He couldn't help but think that everything was too perfect. Although she was right; something must go wrong. Anxiety and fear over losing her was running through his mind. He couldn't help think that things would go back to what they were. He was so scared that he would lose her again.

"Miss me?" he fake laughed.

Ally noticed that something was wrong. By the way he laughed, she could feel his anxiety running through him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair. "You seem nervous."

He sat there in silence; he didn't want to tell her the truth. So many thoughts were running through his mind right now. He needed to stop over thinking things. Ever since he met her mom he always told himself he was not going to overthink things and he was going to live life in the moment. He was going to appreciate everything and take every opportunity, which led him down the wrong path for four years. He wanted to fix things with Ally, Dallas, and anyone else he hurt.

"Nothing, just tired," he lied. She knew something strange was up, but she let it slide. She knew him well enough to know that if he wanted to talk about it, he would.

"Come on, let me help you pack," he stretched and got up. "Not everything," she replied. "Just help me bring some of my clothes over. I guess that you'll leave tomorrow and then I'll come in a few weeks?" she asked. He never thought about that, but she had a point. "Yeah, I'll book my flight right now," he sighed and pulled out his phone.

They spent the whole day packing up part of her room and still catching up on things. It was unusual for Ally to take risks, especially when it came to moving all the way on the west coast. She wasn't sure if she would like Los Angeles. She was surprised that paparazzi weren't barging into her apartment looking for Austin. She knew that it has happened to him and she knows he hates it. Austin does a great job at hiding himself though. All he has worn were sweatpants, hoodies and snapbacks. He wasn't dressed up in button up shirts, jeans, and sneakers.

When they reached the airport she couldn't help but cry. "I'll miss you," she whispered. He intertwined his fingers with hers and kissed her forehead. "Two weeks," he replied and started to pick up his bags. "I'll see you soon," he added before pulling her into a hug. He didn't want her to let go. He cupped her chin and pulled her face closer to his. "Two weeks will go fast," he whispered before grabbing his bags.

He boarded the plane and sat there. He kept thinking to himself something was going to wrong when she moved out there. He was scared that she wasn't going to be used to being bombarded with paparazzi or that something will happen. He debated whether or not to tell Ally that he was worried about her moving, but he had to push the thoughts out of his head and continue on with his journey.

Ally paced back and forth in her living room, mentally slapping herself. She should have just told him she wanted to pick things back up. Maybe he wasn't into her as much anymore. Maybe he wanted to be just friends. She was so nervous to move out to Los Angeles with Austin, especially because she would be living with him. Would she have a separate room? Or would they be sleeping together? What did his house look like?


	11. Friends? Friends

Hours passed and he was already in California. He waited at baggage claim with Dez for easily three hours. He had so many bags to take home with him. Dez didn't know why he had so many bags, but he assumed that it was a whole new wardrobe set for him.

Dez crashed at Austin's house for the night to help him brainstorm ideas for a new tour video. Austin went into his bedroom to store Ally's suitcases. He immediately called her as soon as he settled down. Dez couldn't help but notice that Austin was acting strange. He went to go into his room and check on him, but instead he probably heard something he shouldn't have.

"Yeah," Austin sighed. "I have a few extra rooms. When you move in, we'll fix it up," he laughed. "Yeah, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Two more weeks," he grinned. "Alright, I'll talk to you later. Bye," he whispered and hung up. He turned around and saw Dez in the doorway and jumped. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked.

"Enough to hear that you have a girlfriend," he cooed, causing Austin to blush. "Who is it?" Dez asked. "I don't have a girlfriend," he replied. "It's complicated," he sighed. "Who is it?" Dez asked again and Austin shrugged. "It's Ally," he whispered and Dez' jaw dropped.

"Like Ally Dawson?" he asked and Austin nodded. "I ran into her a few nights ago and have been crashing at her apartment. Nothing went on between us. I convinced her to move out here so we can work together again," he blushed and bit his lip.

"I thought she was pissed at you and what about your career?"

Austin laughed at Dez' comment. "She was, but we talked it out. I apologized at least a hundred times. She agreed to work with me again. Speaking of that, I have to talk to Jimmy to put Ally back on the label. When I left, I told Jimmy to drop her," he sighed. "But now," he paused, adding a tone of hope into his voice. "We'll be working together and then things will be normal again," he smiled. "So no dating?" Dez asked and Austin shook his head. "No dating. To be honest, I'm not ready to get that attached to Ally again. Like what if she hates it here and moves back? I can't do the long distance stuff," he groaned. "I kissed her a few nights ago and it felt weird."

"Did you have sex?"

Austin immediately glared at Dez who seemed to find the whole situation funny. "No."

"Did you want to?" he asked and Austin sighed.

"We shared a moment when I thought we were about to, to be honest. I was willing to go through with it and so was she, but I had to stop it."

"She has been your one and only," Dez cooed and Austin groaned.

"I guess. I mean I am 23 and have never had a real girlfriend because I have been waiting for Ally for so long that when I saw her again, I wanted us to work out so badly, but now I feel that it would not be right. I mean we are working together again. That is unprofessional."

Dez' jaw dropped. "I honestly would just go with it. She is your high school sweetheart to an extent. You guys are right for each other."

"We are, but I just worry about her. I want to take things slow. Like start from day one."

"So I have to reintroduce myself to Ally?" Dez asked and Austin started to laugh hysterically.

"No, just fix things between us and if the time is right, we'll pick things back up."

"Usually I would have to agree with you, but just pick things up when she moves here. Austin, you are in love with her. Stop hiding your feelings and live a little."

"You're right, Dez," he beamed.

* * *

Ally sat at her computer to book a plane ticket while scribbling down lyrics in her songbook. She was stressed over the idea of moving. "Why am I even doing this?" she thought to herself. "It's not like he wants to pick things back up again," she whispered. "We would be working together…" she sighed.


	12. LA Baby

I am so sorry for not updating, but I have been crazy busy. I should be updating more frequently since I am done working. Okay! Okay. Also, I am starting a new story soon 3

Enjoy

* * *

Within a few weeks, she was settling into Austin's home. It was nothing like she imaged. It had an ocean view, numerous windows, and beautiful hardwood floors. She was amazed at how well he kept the place. "So, where am I staying?" she asked and he shrugged. "Pick a room, any room, besides this one," he smirked, pointing to the door with the paint splattered at the bottom. "That's Dez' room when he crashes here."

"Dez has his own room here?" she asked and Austin nodded. "Yeah, he used to live with me at one point, but moved out. He's been wanting to move in again, but has not found the time to pack up his condo," he replied and Ally just stared at him. She was amazed as how much Austin has matured.

"Which room do you recommend?" she asked and he opened the door to an average sized room. It wasn't fancy or anything. It was a simple bedroom with an ocean view.

"You can decorate it anyway you want," Austin said before opening Dez' door.

"Dez, Ally is here," he whispered and Dez groaned, rolling out of bed.

"Austin it is 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday," he groaned and all Austin could do was laugh. "Ally is here, did you not hear that?" he asked and Dez' head perked up. He quickly got out of bed and made his way into the hallway.

"ALLY," Dez beamed and hugged her. "I have missed you."

"Dez," Ally beamed. "It's so good to see you. How have you been?" she asked and he shrugged looking over at Austin. He was giving him the look; The Austin-you're-still-in-love-with-her look, also known as the look that Austin hated. He hated when Dez was right, but Austin needed to keep things professional, especially after being on the phone for five hours with Jimmy to put Ally back on the label. Jimmy has a strict rule about coworkers dating one another, after what happened between him and Kira.

After Ally settled in, Austin decided to go out by himself to get some air. He wanted to pick things back up with her so badly, but knew it would be unprofessional. He needed a songwriter desperately or he would be off of the label. If he could write one good song he probably would no longer need Ally, but every song he has written sucked. Jimmy was getting tired of him performing the same songs again and again, which was why he was never on tour anymore.

He walked all along his street, coming up with scenarios about the future. In one of them, he imagined himself in a few years, married to Ally and starting a family. The other was Ally moving back to New York after a huge fight and he'd never see her again.

It was around midnight when he returned home. Dez left to go back to his condo and Ally was sitting on the sofa reading a book.

Without saying a word, he sat down next to her and rested his arm over her shoulders. Her body tensed up at first but slowly relaxed.

"Austin," she squeaked. "You gave me a heart attack. Where have you been?"

He sighed and looked down at the ground. "Thinking, clearing my head."

"There's nothing to talk about, Als. Just thoughts."

"Well if you want to talk, I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Goodnight," he mumbled and made his way into the kitchen.  
Ally went after him and grabbed his arm. "Why are you acting so strange around me?"

"I'm not. I'm just stressed."

"Why?"

"I'll talk to you in the morning," he mumbled and walked into his room, slamming the door behind him.

He woke up early and noticed that Ally was already awake. He had plans for him and Ally today, but after last night he was not so sure she would want to hangout with him.

"You're up," he smiled and reached for the orange juice.

She lightly smiled at him and continued to read her magazine. "Yeah."

"Listen about last night," his voice trailed off.

"Don't," she cut him off. "I get it. You're overwhelmed. I understand."

"Do you still want to hangout?" he asked and she nodded.

"Giving me a tour of Los Angeles?"

"Of course," he winked.

"Paparazzi too?" she groaned.

He let out a long sigh before responding. "Unfortunately."

"Joy," she deadpanned.

"Basically."


	13. Famous

They got into his car and drove for what it seemed hours to the center of Los Angeles. His heart was pounding at the thought of the paparazzi crowding him if they found him. Before they left, he called a restaurant to make sure they had privacy just to stay safe. He was cautious around Ally, probably a little too cautious. He knew she hated being in the spotlight and taking her downtown would be his date with disaster.

He could feel his chest closing up and his heart pounding rapidly. He kept telling himself he was going to mess it up and that she would hate it and moves away.

They arrived at the restaurant and surprisingly no one was bombarding him…yet. He quickly wrapped his arm around her and dragged her into the restaurant.

"Hello, Austin," the waitress beamed.

"Hi, Alyssa," he smirked and pulled her into a hug.

"How have you been? It would nice if you called me once in a while," her voice sounding peeved.

"It would be nice to hear from you," she added. "Mom and dad worry about you."

"Alyssa, I know, I have been busy. I will explain everything later tonight. I will call you when you are off your shift," he groaned.

Ally just stood there, unsure what to do. She recognized Alyssa but was not sure who she was exactly. At first she thought she was Austin's girlfriend, until she said "mom and dad" but that still did not make her comfortable. Ever since she got here she has doubted this whole idea.

"Ally," Austin whispered. "That's my cousin, I think you met her."

"Have I?"

"You have been to the family parties, right?" he asked and she nodded.

"You must have, either way, our table is ready."

They sat in the farthest corner of the café. At this point, Austin did not care if the paparazzi caught him because he wanted people to know that Ally was his and only his. Even if they were not together, he just wanted people to know that he was not "Hollywood's heartbreaker."

"What do you want to do now?" Austin asked.

Ally shrugged and turned to face him. "Would you be mad if I asked you if we could just walk around? I mean your car is nice and all, but maybe give me a walking tour?"

"That is fine by me, just hold onto me at all times. Fan girls, paparazzi, you name it," he chuckled and grabbed her hand.

* * *

Hours passed and they have not had a single encounter. He was quietly thanking the heavens that Ally was not getting bombarded with him. They passed a jewelry store and a ring immediately caught Austin's eye. He knew it was extreme and rushed, but all his thoughts about the future were coming to his head. He knew in his mind that he was going to marry Ally one day, even if it meant waiting until he was 40.

He tightened his grip around Ally and pulled her closer to him. "Brace yourself," he whispered in her ear.

"Austin Moon!" girls started to scream down the street.

"I am so sorry," he mumbled. "I'm going to need to stop."

She couldn't help but laugh at his response. The thought about girls flinging themselves at him freaked her out. But she knew that it would not be an issue. He released his grip around her and walked over to the group of girls.

"I have to make this quick," he told the girls.

She stood from a distance watching him take pictures with the girls. She thought it was cute that Austin took extra time to take pictures with people. He loved his fans, just not the paparazzi. Austin has always loved his fans. He loved taking pictures and talking with him and making videos for their friends.

"Is that your girlfriend?" the one girl asked.

He chuckled a little bit and placed his arm around her shoulder. "That is a secret, my friend. Now smile."

"Thank you, Austin!" the girl beamed and hugged him.

"You're welcome."

He walked over to a mother and her child and crouched down next to her.

"Austin, I'm sorry. My daughter is a huge fan, do you mind taking a picture with her?"

"No way! I love kids," he smiled and picked up the girl.

He looked over at Ally and winked causing her to blush a deep shade of red.  
"Smile, cutie," he said and looked over at the mother to take a picture.

After the picture, he apologized that he had to cut it short and immediately ran over to Ally.

"Sorry. It took longer than expected," he apologized.

Ally chuckled and grabbed his hand. "It's fine, I know how much you love your fans."

* * *

Hi sorry it took so long to update :( I have been traveling everywhere! I currently have wifi but that is going to change :(

i will be home sunday night so weeee!

thank you all for reviewing, favoriting, and following this story :)


	14. The Question

I finally have internet! :D I am sorry I have not updated in so long, I have been all over the place recently (Virginia, New Jersey, California, and New York), but I am finally hope with internet yay!

* * *

Austin woke up and popped his head into Ally's room; she was sitting there, fiddling with her piano.

He propped himself against her doorway and smiled. "Good morning," he said and she jumped.

"Oh god, Austin, you scared me," her voice sounding startled.

"I was thinking maybe we could get breakfast?" he suggested and she looked over at the clock.

"Maybe lunch? Considering it noon," she laughed.

"That is fine," he smirked. "Maybe in like 10 minutes?"

She nodded in agreement and got up to get dressed. Ally grabbed her clothes out of the dresser and nudged Austin to leave. "Ally, I can turn around," he grinned. "Your bed is pretty comfy."

She rolled her eyes and lightly smacked his arm. "Turn around then."

He did what she said and turned around, waiting for her to get dressed. Part of him wanted to turn around, but the other part knew it would be disrespectful. He slightly turned his head and immediately turned it back.

"Austin, can you help me with my zipper?" she asked and he gulped. He got up and slowly walked towards her while taking deep breaths. His fingers awkwardly fumbled with the zipper of her dress. After he was done, she looked at him funny. He has helped her with this ever since high school and suddenly he was acting all weird about it.

"Are you good?" she question and he nodded.

"Yes, now lets get lunch," he stuttered, immediately grabbing her by the arm. Ally thought it was funny how Austin was like putty in her hands. She could easily use that against him in the future.

Austin was so head over heels in love with her, that he would do anything for her. Literally anything. She could tell him to jump, and he would ask her "how high?" She could tell him to jump off of a bridge and he'd do it. He has never felt this way about a girl in his entire life. Being apart from her for so long, did not separate him from her, but rather, made him more attracted to her. He knew she was still mad at him for what happened and he would do anything for her forgiveness.

* * *

After lunch, they walked around for a little bit, until the paparazzi ambushed them. They quickly ran to the parking garage to get his car and had to escape through the back of the garage.

When they reached his home, he immediately went to shower and get dressed, while Ally worked on a new song for him.

He was going to the studio to record an EP for his upcoming album in a few days and he really needed Ally's help to finish up his last song for the EP. He already had interviews for numerous magazines and music stations set up starting with today. He had to be at Cheetah Beat in four hours and was dreading every second of it.

Before he left to get Dez, he stopped by his makeshift music room to check on Ally. She expected him to help her with the songs, but he was way too busy to even speak to her. It was never this when they were in high school. They used to stay up all night working on songs, now it seems like she is the only one doing it.

* * *

Dez hopped into Austin's car and immediately asked where Ally was. He thought they were joined at the hip since they reunited.

They reached the Cheetah Beat studio and Dez and Austin cringed. They remembered the time in high school, when they had to do everything Trish lied about in order for him to be the next rising star. Austin recalled the time Ally lied for the first time in order to sound cooler. Even though she was already cool to him. He remembered that was probably the first time he fell for her: literally and emotionally.

"Austin Moon! It's good to see you," a younger girl said. He looked at her face and recognized that it was no other than Megan Simms. She was definitely a lot older than before.

"Megan?" Dez questioned and she shook her head.

"Yes, it's me!" she chirped.

"How old are you now?" Austin asked.

"Fifteen, turning sixteen. Now we really need to hurry up with this interview."

* * *

"So, we hear you're releasing an EP in a couple of weeks?"

"Yeah. I am."

"What is your sound going to be like?"

"That is a secret. It won't be a disappointment. I can guarantee that," he awkwardly laughed. The truth is, he had no idea how it was going to sound. He has not been with Ally enough to figure out what it is going to sound like.

"We heard you got a new songwriter?"

"Yes. I'm no longer collaborating with Steven and Melissa."

"Really? Who are you working with now?"

"Ally Dawson. You may or may not remember her," he said with a wink.

"I am fa-reaking!" Megan chirped.

Austin laughed a little bit before responding. He was unsure on what was going to happen next. In fact, he was worried that Megan would ask him about Ally because he did not want to get that deep in conversation.

"What made Ally come back?" she asked and Austin immediately cursed under his breath.

"It is a complicated story and I'd rather not talk about it," he sighed.

"Understandable. So the next question comes from a girl named Veronica. She wants to know if there is a girl in your life."

He should just say Ally, but he should not. Was he ready to tell people they were dating? Actually, was he even ready to ask her out? He knew he wanted to keep it professional, but he just can't.

"No. I'm single. I'm not exactly looking for a girl right now," he lied. He knew Megan saw right through him.

He answered a few more questions before leaving. On his way out, Megan stopped him and Dez.

"Listen, I know something is going on with you and Ally. You kept shifting in your seat when we talked about her. But I'll leave it at that, if you want to talk about it. You can, we will not think differently of you," she whispered and said goodbye.

"Weird," Dez mumbled on his way out. Austin figured he'd spend the day with Dez considering he has ditched him for Ally these past couple of days. They did the normal: went out for a burger and a beer while figuring stuff out for his next video.

* * *

Ally sat at the keyboard, still working on a song. She was pretty rusty with writing songs, considering she stopped after Austin left. She sighed and thought about the last emotion she has felt, which was love. After hours of fiddling with different chords and progressions, she finally mastered it.

_"This love will is never gonna fade. We are timeless, we are timeless,"_ she sang to herself. She quietly applauded herself while working on the rest of the song.

_"Every day, I fall for you a little more. _

_And every night, I dream of you so beautiful. _

_Every time we laugh, I see the sparks the fly and every time you blush, I feel those butterflies._

_And baby I believe we'll always be in style forever and ever. This love is never gonna fade, we are timeless, we are timeless. _

_My heart will never ever change, we are timeless, we are timeless."_

"Bravo," she heard a voice from behind. She turned around and saw that it was Austin clapping his hands.

"Do you like it?" she asked. He picked her up and twirled her around.  
"I love it," he chirped, causing her to blush.

"Hey, can we talk?" she mumbled. He nodded and sat down on the couch next to her.

"What's up?" he asked.

"What are we?"


	15. The Answer

_"What are we?"_

The question he has been dreading has finally come. He did not know himself. Frankly, he was scared to start an actual relationship with her.

"Whatever you want me to be," he smirked, hoping that she would drop the subject.

"That does not answer my question…"

"Ally, I'll be whatever you want me to be. I'm yours and only yours. Why rush into a relationship when what we have right now is working really well," he responded.

Ally was getting annoyed with his constant stalling. She knew him way too well to know when he was nervous about a subject, and she knew damn well that this subject was a touchy one with him. She just wrote a song that basically told Austin how she felt about him. Their love was in fact timeless. She knew that as well as he did. Austin knew pretty damn well, that he was still in love with her, but he was too scared to get too close.

"Ally, look at me," he mumbled and cupped her face. "I love you and you know that."

She started to tear up and he immediately wrapped her in his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Austin, it's like you don't care about us anymore. I moved here in hopes of us picking things back up, but I guess that's never going to happen. I feel like you're only using me for my songs."

Austin looked at her completely baffled. Why did she even think that? Yes, he needed her for help with songs, but he could easily get a songwriter within minutes. He wanted her here because he needed her. Because he still loved her. He wanted to be her boyfriend, but he was terrified on the outcome of it. He was scared he was going to mess up and completely lose her.

"Allison Marie Dawson, you look at me right now," he snapped. "I didn't want you here for help with songs. I could get a songwriter within minutes. I wanted you here because I needed you, because I just do. It's hard to explain. But trust me, I want us to work too, but I'm scared on what the future will bring us. I'm really trying not to have you leave me anytime soon. You know how crazy fans can be. I don't want you to be freaked out because of this. Ally, I'm not the same person in high school. I didn't have cameras photographing my every move. I didn't have people giving me a horrible image. I don't want people to think you're just another girl in my life. I want them to know you're the one and only."

Ally was trying to register what he told her, but it was all too much for her. "Austin…" she whispered. She waited for a response, but there was not one.

He got up and left without saying a word. She sighed and called Trish to tell her everything that has happened. Starting with the fact that she moved to Los Angeles. Then she would call Rachel to tell her what just happened.

"Trish…it's me," she mumbled while fighting to hold back the tears.  
"Ally, it has been forever! How are you?" she chirped. "Wait…you sound sad, what's wrong?"

"Austin…" she whispered.

"What about him? I thought after what happened you guys stopped talking…"

She choked on her words before answering. "Well yeah, but something came up. Can you talk?"

Trish sighed a nervous sigh. She was scared on what she was about to hear from Ally.

"Take all the time you need," Trish mumbled.

* * *

Austin sat in his room, completely stressed about everything. He had an interview in the morning that he no longer wanted to do. He hated Ally being mad at him. _What do I do?_ He whispered to himself. He messed it up with Ally and she was going to leave. He was over thinking everything again. He sat there in silence. All he could hear was his heartbeat increasing and his breath becoming shorter and faster. He was on the verge of having an anxiety attack

Things were going smoothly between them, until he decided to be an asshole about one little question. However, it was not a little question. It was a huge question. It was a question that would make or break their relationship and obviously he had the wrong answer.

He knocked on her door, but there was not a response. The silent treatment was always his least favorite thing from her.

"Ally, can you listen to me?" he yelled, but still no response.

"I'm sorry for being an asshole, but you have to listen to me. Can you please open the door?"

"Ally, please, I'm begging you," he yelled.

"Ally!"

She sat there, reflecting on what he said earlier and immediately felt bad about her. She should have listened to him because she knew he was telling the truth. She stood there and unlocked the door.

Austin heard the click of her door and immediately flung the door open. She looked at him in complete distress. He could feel the tension between them. There were things he wanted to get off of his chest, as did she.

"Ally, I don't know what to say besides I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's my fault, Austin."

"No, Ally. It is my fault," he muttered.

"Austin, I was the one who overreacted. It is completely my fault."

"Ally, it was my fault," he retorted.

They went on for easily twenty minutes arguing over whose fault it was, when in reality, it was neither of their fault. They both realized that their argument was silly and decided to laugh it off.

"What is wrong with us?" he laughed.

"No idea," she replied.

"Listen," he sighed and sat down. "I'm sorry that I have been distant lately. It's just I have a bunch of stuff to do in getting ready for the album. You're welcomed to join me anytime. I just don't want you to feel like I only wanted you here for work. I would never do that to you."

She looked down at him with her arms crossed. She could tell he was being honest because his voice was genuine. "I'm sorry for thinking that," she mumbled.

"I forgive you," he sighed before walking out of her room.

"Where are you going?"

He turned around and smirked. "To bed. I have an interview at eight. Care to join?"

"To bed or to the interview?"

He winked at her and turned back around, making his way to his room. She couldn't help but blush and how he answered that question to slyly.

"Are you coming?" he called out from his room.

"The interview or your room?"

"Yes," he called out without giving her a single answer.

Ally was really confused. Probably way more confused than before. Austin was a complicated person when it came to answering things. They were either too complex or way too simple to even register.


	16. Morning

Austin laid in his bed waiting for Ally to barge in asking him a million questions about his answer. He purposely left his door unlocked and slightly opened so he didn't have to get up to let her in.

"Austin," she yelled as she barged in.

"Yes?" he arched his brow.

"You can't give me complex answers for a simple questions, then a simple answer to a complex question. It does not work that way," she yelled.

Austin laughed to himself and motioned for her to come closer to him. "Come here," he laughed.

"A complex answer would be what created the world and a simple answer would be if I had a nice day or not, which I did, but still. You are such a confusing person, why do you do this? Austin are you listening? Austin? Austin, are you listening to me?" she rambled while he laid there completely amused.

She smacked his arm and he just laughed. "Come here you goober," he whispered and pulled her onto the bed with him.

"Austin," she sighed and struggled to get out from under him.

"You know, you're cute when you're frustrated," he whispered in her ear, completely giving her the chills.

He hovered his body over hers, but immediately got up when he realized that he took it too far.

"Too far," he mumbled and rolled off of Ally and onto the other side.

"Goodnight, Ally," he muttered and turned off the lights.

* * *

Austin's alarm went off at seven and he noticed that Ally left after he fell asleep. He was slightly disappointed at himself for doing what he did last night. He also felt slightly ashamed for leading her on like that. He stretched and sat up, managing to knock his phone off his dresser.

"Oh good, you're up," he heard her say from the hallway.

"Did you leave me last night?"

"Yeah I'm sorry, but your damn phone woke me up at six thirty in the morning. You know, you should get an alarm clock, I heard they do wonders."

He threw a pillow at her and she dodged it. "Nice," he smirked before getting up.

"I smell pancakes?" he questioned.

"Waffles," she corrected him.

"You got the waffle maker to work?" he asked.

She laughed at his question. "Austin, you have to press like two buttons…"

"Really? Dez and I can never figure it out. Strange."

"Now scoot," he added. "I need to get dressed, unless you want to stay," he winked and she swatted his arm.

"No, no, no, I'm leaving. By the way, Dez is here."

Austin quickly gathered something to wear, brushed his teeth, and fixed his hair. He walked into the kitchen to grab his coffee and waffles before getting ready to leave.

"Dez are you joining me today?" he asked and Dez nodded.

"What about you, Ally?" Austin asked and she shrugged.

"Will it be weird?"

"No."

"Ally, come on," Austin whined.

"Fine," she gave in.


	17. Teen Vogue

"Teen Vogue welcomes Austin Moon," the sign said. Ally was amazed that he was in Teen Vogue…again. She must have counted his face on at least four different issues of Teen Vogue. He was probably one of the biggest acts out there according to Dez.

Austin went into the interview/photo room to get his segment done, while Ally and Dez waited in the lounge area for him.

Dez looked at Ally with his signature smirk. "So," he voice squeaked. "How are things with you and Austin?"

Ally shrugged. "I honestly do not know. Last night was weird. He sort of lead me on, but mumbled something like 'too soon' and then went to sleep."

"Too soon?" Dez asked. "Like sex?"

"No. He sort of pinned me down and then immediately got off of me. I don't know."

"You guys haven't talked about your feelings?"

"That's what the fight was about."

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked and she nodded.

"We went back to Miami a few months ago for the spring bash and we were walking all along Miami and he had a nervous breakdown on the bench by the fountain in the food court. He ended up crying and you and me both know Austin Moon never cries."

"He cried over me?"

"Ally, he is still crazy about you. I can't really tell you much because it is between Austin and I. When he's ready, he'll tell you. But all I know is that those years he was gone, he missed you more than ever. Despite my anger towards him, I talked to him and trust me, he sounded distressed and upset whenever we talked."

Ally looked over at Dez in complete shock. She was aware that Austin missed her, but was not completely aware that Austin was that in love with her that he was in emotional distress over her.

"I had no idea that he felt that strongly about me…" her voice faded.

"Ally, he was completely screwed up the first year. I wish I could tell you more, but I doubt Austin would want me to talk about it," Dez sighed.  
"I'm sure he'll tell you one day," he added.

"I doubt it. It is so hard to figure him out sometimes. He used to be like an open book and suddenly he keeps everything to himself."

Dez placed his hand on her shoulder and sighed. "Yeah and he'll probably tell you what happened. He needs me, Als. That's why I'm moving in. I'm truly worried about him because he's been spending a lot of downtime at my house."

"That's where he's been?" Ally asked and Dez nodded.

"Yeah, guy talk." Dez laughed, trying to lighten up the situation.

"How long do these last?"

"Not that long, but with these, they tend to last longer because it's a photo shoot too."

"Why do you go with him?"

"To keep him company, plus after this we usually get a burger and a beer while going over music video ideas."

"Am I ruining guys night?" Ally asked and Dez shook his head.

"Nah. We stopped scoping for girls and by we, I meant me. Austin hasn't really been in the dating game either. He's been on a few dates here and there, but he never really did anything about it. He usually tries to help me find a girlfriend," he laughed.  
Ally pondered on what Dez told her. She recalls Austin saying that he has not had a girlfriend or been on a date since her. She was suddenly confused about everything.

"Did Austin lie to me?" Ally asked Dez and he shrugged.

"I doubt it. He would never want to hurt you in any way. Honestly I could be wrong, I just remembered him saying he was going out, maybe I just assumed it was a date. I mean he has a lot of clients," Dez sighed, covering Austin's lie. Dez knew he went on a few dates, Austin told him about them. He would compare them to Ally and that is why he never did anything about them.

"It was probably a client," Ally shrugged.

"Yeah. He does a lot of those."

After the interview, they all went to Austin and Dez' favorite burger place for food. The boys talked about his next video while Ally awkwardly sat there.

"Ally, what do you think my next video should be like?" Austin asked, snapping her out of her trance.

"I don't know. What single are you releasing?"

"I'm going into the studio to record Timeless tomorrow, and I'm thinking that should be my single, but I'm not exactly sure yet. Because I also like Steal Your Heart."

"Well it depends on the message of the song, unless you just want to do a live one," Ally suggested.

"A live video? That does not sound like a bad idea to be honest."

"Or maybe like when you do your next tour, it could be a tour video," Dez suggested.

"Dez that is a great idea!" Ally chirped.

Austin rested his arm on the booth behind Ally and she immediately shivered. "So it's settled," Austin smirked. "A tour video for Timeless."


	18. Changes

He came back from the studio and immediately had to meet with his manager about this EP, upcoming album, and tour. Ally decided she would spend the day with Dez aka helping him move back into Austin's house.

"Why are you moving back in? You never told me," Ally asked.

"Can you drive?" he asked, completely ignoring her question.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"Have you established residency yet?" Dez asked and she nodded.

"The first week I moved in, Austin and I went to one of the offices to do it."

"So you have a California license?" he questioned and she nodded.

"Great, don't crash Austin's SUV, he'll kill one of us," he laughed.

"Dez are you really moving in because you're worried about him?"

Dez stopped what he was doing and placed one of the boxes in the car. "Yes. I get that he has you now, but he just needs me. Plus, it would save me money"

"Aren't you on Starr?" she asked and Dez shook his head.

"No. I work at Hollywood Center Studios as an assistant."

"Oh," her voice trailed off.

"Come on, we need to finish this up before Austin comes home."

* * *

Dez and Ally finished up moving the boxes into Austin's house. They were expecting him to be home by later afternoon, but he was already home when they came back with the boxes.

"I thought you were going to be later?" Ally questioned.

Austin shook his head and continued to look down at his iPad. "Nope. Like I said I only had to do Timeless, which took a few hours then I had to meet with Jimmy about the tour, CD, and EP."

"Tour?" Dez asked nervously.

"All fifty states, plus a few international," he beamed.

"We're all going?" Ally questioned.

"If you want to. Nothing is finalized yet, but I need to know if you two will be joining me."

"I'll join you," Dez replied and nudged Ally.

"Yeah, I'll join you too," she mumbled.

Dez noticed the tension between them and immediately went into his room to finish unpacking. He knew things would never be the same between them, even if they started dating, which he was hoping and praying would happen.

Instead of unpacking, Dez checked those stupid gossip sites to see if anything has come out about Austin and there has been a lot lately. He read things like "The mystery girl with Austin," "Austin Moon's new girlfriend," and so on. They've been out a lot lately and have been mobbed a few times by paparazzi and fan girls. He checked Twitter to see if they were saying anything about Ally and surprisingly there was little to no hate about her.

* * *

Months have passed and Austin became a little more distant towards Ally. Whenever he would get too close to her, he would immediately go into Dez' room and talk. Some nights he would go for a walk and not come back until the morning, and other nights, he would lock himself in his room and not answer anyone. Once or twice, she would hear him wake up in the middle of the night and just leave. She was unsure why he did it, but she listened to what Dez said and waited for him to talk to her about it. She did not want to force him to say anything he did not want to.

Ally was returning back to Florida with Austin to visit her family. He missed the Dawson's more than ever, however, he was terrified that Mr. Dawson would kill Austin for what he did to Ally.

It was not a holiday or anything, but they were all leaving for tour in a few weeks and Ally would not see her friends or family for a long time.

"Austin, I'm nervous," she sighed.

"Why?" he questioned and arched his brow.

"It has been a year since I came home and you know…you're coming with me."

"Are you scared your parents are going to kill me? Because I thought I was the only one with that fear," he nervously laughed.

Ally rolled her eyes and lightly smacked his arm. "They won't kill you. They might ask you a lot of questions, considering what we've all been reading online about you."

"Right, mystery girl."

"When are you going to tell people?"

"I really should do that, shouldn't I?"

She nodded. "I mean you don't have to, but it's nice to know people think I'm the mystery girl."

"You are the mystery girl, though."

"I know, but do you ever think they'll know me as Ally Dawson?"

"I'm sure they will."


	19. The Dawsons

They landed in Miami and everything seemed too surreal to him. Mini's was taken over, Sonic Boom was still gone, the mall was expanded, and Marino High was in the works of getting expanded.

Austin turned the corner to his old street, then a few blocks down for the Dawson's, but Ally stopped him. He was unaware that they moved and that is why Sonic Boom closed. She told him that the only reason they kept Sonic Boom for so long was because they had dreams of Ally that Ally would take over the business and pass it on to her children, but when Austin left, she gave up music. Music seemed irrelevant to her. Instead, she majored in English literature rather than music.

Austin felt terrible that he was the reason why Sonic boom closed. He felt awful that he did that much damage to Ally. He was starting to doubt whether or not he should stay at the Dawson's for the week. He was too scared that they would figure out he was the reason all of that happened.

Instead of driving around the corner, they drove to Ft. Lauderdale to a little suburban neighborhood. The Dawson's home was not as big as it was before. It was a little colonial with two bedrooms, a living room, three bathrooms, a kitchen, and a dining room. It was a typical suburban home.

Austin figured he would be sleeping on the couch, so he braced himself for a week of neck and back pain.

As soon as they reached the home, Penny and Lester ran to the car to welcome Ally home. They also greeted and hugged Austin. His anxiety was lowering, but now low enough for him to stay calm.

"Austin, it's great to see you," Penny smiled. "How has fame been treating you?"

"It's been quite a journey," he stuttered. "I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch. I've been busy with work," he sighed.

"No hard feelings, sweetheart, come on in."

He walked into the living room and sat on the couch to talk to Lester while Ally and Penny went upstairs to discuss something.

"So…" Austin mumbled.

"Are you dating my daughter?" Lester asked.

Austin mentally cursed to himself. "It's complicated."

Lester knew in his head that Austin was no good, and frankly he was never fond of the Moons. Ever since the incident with the fundraiser, he never really liked the Moons. He did not want Austin dating Ally whatsoever. On the other hand, Penny adored the Moons and still kept in contact with them even if they were all the way out in California. Penny hoped Austin would marry Ally one day. The way she observed him around her; she knew it was love right from the start.

"How is it complicated? She moved in with you."

"We're working together."

Lester's eyes widened when he mentioned that. "Ally's back into songwriting?"

"Yeah, when she moved in, she started to write again."

"You know we sold Sonic Boom."

"I know," Austin sighed. "I was here a little while back and saw that it was gone."

"Do you have intentions on dating my daughter?" Lester changed the subject.

"Yes, yes, I do. But not right now, we're about to go on tour and I just want things to wind down before I ask her," Austin sighed.

Ally went into spare bedroom with her and Austin's bags. Penny kept asking Ally why she made the courageous decision to move in with him when things were perfectly fine in New York. Honestly, Ally was unsure why she moved in with Austin to begin with. It was not like they were in a serious relationship and if something bad happened, she would have to go back to Miami, which is something she did not want to do.

"Ally, do you love him?"

"I don't know," she sighed.

"Sweetheart, you wouldn't have done something like that if you didn't love him."

Austin walked upstairs and went to go talk to Ally about something, but he stopped in his tracks.

"I don't know if I love him. Sometimes it feels like we're about to have a moment, but other times it feels like he doesn't want to be around me. He's not the same person in high school, mom, and that frightens me."

"Ally, you have to have a reason why you moved out with him."

"It's just that. I don't know. We both have feelings for each other, but I don't know. He wants to keep it professional because we're working together, but it is making me sick. I can't be around him any longer knowing that he doesn't want to even try to push it further. That was why I moved out. I moved there in hopes of us picking things back up. I know he wanted to take things slow, but I'm sick of slow. He used to live a fast paced life filled with adventures, but now it is like he's grown up too fast and that scares me. Mom, he is not the same." Ally groaned and fell onto her bed. "It is like he is a different person. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm sick of him leaving the house at strange times, becoming distant from me, only talking to Dez and Jimmy, and the lying."

Austin sighed, letting his anxiety get to the best of him and walked down stairs to say goodbye to Mr. Dawson. He drove to his old neighborhood and back to the park to think about what she said about him. Maybe he did grow up too fast. When he went on tour he had to take care of himself. He played the mom and dad role for him and it was scary. He was seventeen turning eighteen. However, while he was physically becoming an adult, he was not emotionally. He was still the scared seventeen-year-old boy who boarded the bus by himself to tour the world, without his friends and family.

After unpacking, Ally went downstairs to look for Austin and he was gone. She asked her dad if he has seen him and he said that he left because he didn't want to inconvenience them. Ally tried calling him at least ten times, but there was no answer. Thirty texts later and he finally answered. She mentally face-palmed herself because it all it said was "high school memory one: the meditation spot." He was so damn cryptic when it came to things.

He sat there at the park waiting for her for easily three hours, but she never showed up. He got into the rental car, preparing to go to a hotel for a night, or until he could get a flight back home. He knew things were never going to be the same with them. He pushed it too far and he figured he would let it go and this time for good.


	20. Midnight

Austin checked the messages on his phone, hoping she would have answered him, but there was nothing. He knew everything was too real to even happen. What were the chances of running into her in New York anyway? He started thinking that everything was a dream, but his dreams were turning into a nightmare. Austin knew what he needed to do, and that was to let her go. It was for the best.

Austin started up the car and sat there waiting until she showed up. He kept telling himself that he was just going to go and move on, but she was like a drug to him. He never wanted to leave her, but he knew it was for the best.

Ally made her way down the road and spotted the rental car. She got out of her car walked over to his, knocking on the window. Austin barely acknowledged that she was there. All he did was open the door for her to let her inside.

"Austin," she whispered. The voice he has been waiting to hear for almost four hours. He stopped and turned around to look at her. Her facial expression read confused while her eyes showed fear and sadness.

"I'm sorry I'm late. You know I'm bad with maps and everything," she apologized and all he did was stare at her.

"So, what was this all about? It is nearly midnight."

Austin sighed. He hated doing this to her, but he if she wasn't happy with him, then he needed to let her go. "I'm sorry, Ally."

"For?"

"Being an adult. I'm sorry that I made you move out with me. I'm sorry that I crushed your hopes of us getting back together. Ally, I'm not a kid anymore; I grew up when I left for tour the first time. I'm sorry if you're not happy with me," he paused, "I don't want to do this, but I think you're better off without me. I'm sorry for ruining your life again," he sighed.

She was upset, angry, and confused. He listened to what she told her mom about him. She wanted to kick herself for saying what she did. But she was mad that Austin was running from his problems again. She was conflicted on whether or not to leave him or work with him.

"Austin, don't leave," she whispered.

His jaw clenched. He hated seeing her upset, but he knew it was best for her. He knew that he ruined her life the first time and he came back doing the same thing again. Maybe it was not fate. Maybe it was just karma. He lost her, got her back, and realized it wasn't meant to be. That was not true though. He loved her with all of his heart. He wanted to marry her, have kids with her, and never leave her.

"Ally, I'm sorry. I just need time to figure some things out."

"Austin, what is wrong with you? What is the matter?"

"Things. I just need to clear my head. Will I see you at the airport?"

Ally sighed before giving in. She did not want to have to deal with him when she got home, but she also wanted to help him. "Of course," she weakly smiled.

"Great," he managed to smile.

Ally climbed out of the car, trying to hold her ground. She did not want Austin to see her defeated. She wanted him to know that she was going to be fine and that it would all blow over. Austin leaving Miami the first time seemed like nothing to what she was feeling now. It was hard trying to act like everything would be all right when it really was not. She felt like she just got out of a bad relationship: a relationship of four almost five years.

Austin sat in the driver's seat groaning over what happened. He was stupid for telling her what he did. He was stupid for hurting her again. Austin knew he was not the same guy from high school. He wishes he were, though. Things will never be the same between him and Ally. Actually, things will never be the same again. He can try and try and try to bring the past into the present, but it will never work. Things were different and he had to accept that.


	21. Unraveling

Ally was going to spend her week in Miami with her family and Trish and not with Austin. She pushed every thought about him in the back of her head. She would deal with it when she went back home. Austin did come to have lunch with them though. Both Ally and her family noticed something was wrong with him, but Ally told them not to say a single thing because according to her, she has done enough damage to him.

* * *

Trish stopped by the Dawson's household to catch up with both Austin and Ally, but frowned when Ally told her Austin was not with her.

"So he just left?"

Ally sighed and fiddled with her hands. "No, he just didn't want to inconvenience us because there was no where for him to sleep."

"Ally, he could have slept with you. Aren't you two dating?"

"No. We're just friends."

"You don't seem happy about it."

"I'm not. I just hope he hasn't moved on. Because he's been acting weird since I moved in."

"Why would you even move in with him?"

"I don't know."

"Because you love him. Love makes you do crazy things, Ally. Trust me."

"Then why don't you move out to Los Angeles if you're still in love with Dez?"

Trish immediately tensed up. She hasn't thought about Dez ever since the fight they got in after Austin left. They argued over whether or not to forgive him for what he did to Ally and of course, Dez wanted to forgive him because they were bros. But Trish did not want to. She was skeptical about Austin since he stole Ally's song, but let it slide because she knew Ally liked him in some odd way.

"I haven't spoken to Dez in a while, Ally."

"He asks about you sometimes."

"I'd rather not. I finally have a job that I like. Why get rid of it?"

"Love makes you do crazy things, Trish."

"I was referring to you and Austin. You two have been in love since you first met, even if you didn't know it. Dez would observe the way he acted around you and he liked you since the beginning of freshman year."

"But he dated Brooke and Kira?"

"That's the past. What scares you about him?"

"He lies to me on where he is going, he hides in his room for a week and does not come out, he only talks to Dez and Jimmy, sometimes when we get too close, he immediately pushes himself away," Ally rambled.

"What do you mean by hides in his room?"

"We'll sit there and read things about him online for fun, but if there is something negative he immediately excuses himself and goes into his room and then around midnight I hear him leave his room and sometimes he talks to himself assuring himself that he did not mess up."

"He's a boy, Ally," Trish laughed. "Boys are weird. Austin has always been weird. You and I both know how weird he was."

"Yeah, but he was also an open book and he's not that anymore. He's secretive."

"Do you think he's dealing drugs?" Trish joked and Ally swatted her arm.

"No, I doubt it. He is a multimillionaire pop star. He has the biggest house in Beverly Hills. And not to mention, that he is really good friends with One Direction."

"Austin lives the life that people die for," Trish sighed.

"Yeah and he hates it."

"Does he actually? He is such a boy."

"I think he secretly loves it, to be honest. I think it just overwhelms him because he is not the boy in high school: the boy who wanted to be famous and tour the world. I just want him to be happy again."

"What do you think he's doing now?"

"Sleeping probably."

* * *

Austin was in his hotel room, figuring out his future, his life, and trying to get back to his old self. He has never felt this lousy over himself, not even when he left for the first time. He was in love with Ally, but everyday he was with her, a piece of him didn't want to be around her anymore. He knew how much he hurt her in the past and he knows he is hurting her now. Ally should be with someone better, he thought: someone that was not pop star Austin Moon.


	22. The Journey Home

Her father dropped her off at the airport at night and Austin was already sitting on the bench waiting for her. Mr. Dawson pulled Austin aside while Ally went to go check in for her travel.

"Listen, Austin," he snarled. "I don't appreciate your attitude. I know you're a pop star and all, but you have no reason to treat my daughter like that."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dawson, I just have a lot of my mind."

"So you lead her on and just left…again?"

"Dad, leave him alone," Ally interjected. "He's having a hard time. This is why I didn't even want to tell you about Austin and I."

"Ally, you don't need to defend me," Austin whispered.  
"I know you're going through a tough time, I got this," she assured him and grabbed his hand.

"Ally, I just don't think you're right for someone like Austin," he muttered. Austin's jaw was clenching and his grip was tightening onto Ally's hand.

"Dad, Austin messed up once and I forgave him. Why do you think he is wrong for me?"

"Because he is the perfect example of one those famous sleazebags," Mr. Dawson snapped.

Austin could feel his blood boiling. He wanted to say so many things to her dad, but he knew she would _never_ forgive him. He released his grip off of Ally and walked off towards the terminal. "Are you coming?" he yelled over his shoulder. Austin wanted to snap and blow up in his face, but he knew he would scare Ally and that was something he never wanted to do. He could be really nasty when it came to his temper. He knew one thing for sure, he was not going to let his anxiety and or temper win this time, or he hoped.

His heartbeat became irregular. He felt rather dizzy as well as him sweating like a pig. All of the thoughts of him messing up were running through his head. He was having an anxiety attack in the middle of the airport. His breaths became shorter and more erratic. He was losing control of his arms and legs; they felt like pins and needles were everywhere.

Ally came running up to him after arguing with her dad. She noticed that his whole body was shaking and she didn't know what to do.  
"Austin," she mumbled, but she couldn't get a response out of him. He just stood there, shaking. She had no idea what to do. She was absolutely terrified.

"Austin, listen to me," she whispered, but his breathing became shorter and shorter until he felt dizzy.

"Austin," she screamed as he just stood there, trying to control his anxiety.

"Austin," she whispered, but he could barely speak. His words were trapped in the back of his throat. All he could do was try to control his panic attack, but he couldn't. Not with Mr. Dawson watching him. He kept telling himself that he was a Hollywood sleazebag and Ally did not deserve him.

"Ally, I need space," he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.

He slowly walked his way over to the bench to sit down and try to control it. He kept staring at Mr. Dawson and Ally and kept telling himself he was messing up.

They were going to miss their flight because of this and he knew he was going to have to explain all of this as soon as they got back to California.

Once Mr. Dawson left, Ally sat across from Austin, watching his every move. His panic attack was slowly dying down, but still not enough for him to start talking to Ally. He has never had one this bad in his entire life.

"What the hell happened?"

"Nothing, Als. I'll tell you when we get back to California."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now."

"What happened?"

"I had a panic attack, it's no big deal."

No big deal, she thought. It was a huge deal. He had a panic attack in the middle of the airport. How is that not a huge deal?

"Austin, it is a huge deal. Was this your first one?"

"Yes," he lied. "I don't know what happened. I guess I'm just stressed. I don't want to talk about this."

"Okay…"

* * *

They sat at the terminal in silence waiting for the next flight. He could have gotten a private jet, but that adds onto the whole famous factor, which he hated. It was around midnight when they finally got a flight that had a bunch of seats opened. Austin walked a few feet from Ally to call Dez. She tried listening to bits and pieces of their conversation, but nothing made sense. All she heard was "again?" from Dez and Austin repeating "again." She tried to piece together what happened today and her previous conversations with Dez, but nothing was clicking.

The flight attendant called first class and Austin signaled Ally to get up so they could get on the plane. Austin used his charm and flirted with a flight attendant to get their seats upgraded to first class. He may hate being famous, but having good looks never failed him. It has worked since high school: he would flirt with a girl and he would either get something for free or discounted.

They arrived in Los Angeles around four in the morning and Dez was already at baggage claim waiting for them.

"Are you okay?" Dez whispered.

"Sort of. Still a little shaken," Austin replied and looked over at Ally. She was unsure what they were talking about, but if she got any closer, both of them would know she was eavesdropping.

"Another panic attack? I thought they stopped. What triggered it?"

"Her father," he muttered.

"He still hates you?"

"Always has, always will."

"Have you told Ally?"

"No. Why would I tell Ally?"

Ouch. Ally heard the part about her father and was unsure on how to feel about the situation. She knew her dad was not fond of Austin, but he didn't hate him.

* * *

Austin slept until late afternoon before going to the doctors. Ally stayed at home with Dez trying to pry answers out of him, but he did not give in.

"Dez, come on. Has he had a panic attack before?"

"No," Dez lied. "He called me and told me that your flight was cancelled and he was stressed."

"So you swear this was his first panic attack?"

"Yeah. I swear."

"You swear on Trish's life?"

Dez froze. He never wanted to hear Trish's name again. Not after the fight that ruined almost any possible romance between them. He hated putting Austin on the spot, but he was to blame for all of this. Once he left, Trish and Dez argued whether or not it was Austin's fault and of course, Dez would defend Austin. He never once took Ally's feelings into consideration until he found out how miserable Ally was.

"I can't do this, Ally. I don't understand why you're being so intrusive on Austin's life," Dez snapped. She was confused. Dez never got mad over anything.

* * *

Hello hi hi hi :) how are all of you?!

I'm sorry I haven't been updating like I said I would. I have been trying to perfect the next three chapters (I think you'll like them).

ALSO I AM FREAKING OUT OVER THE NEXT EPISODE OF AUSTIN AND ALLY.

OKAY! ENJOY 3

ps. i think i may switch over to watt pad one day. i'm not sure when, but i have been working on larry story and yeah hah.


	23. Dark

_"I can't do this, Ally. I don't understand why you're being so intrusive on Austin's life," Dez snapped. She was confused. Dez never got mad over anything._

* * *

"He doesn't tell you things because you ask him a million question and that stresses him out even more. He's trying to get ready to go on tour, but he can't with us constantly up his ass about everything. It's not even you. He's been pissed off at me for the past month."

Ally stood there in shock. She has never in her life seen Dez upset or angry. He was always so positive even when he was upset. Ally could see what Austin has done to everyone. He didn't only hurt Ally, but hurt Dez, Trish, and Dallas.

"Dez, why are you so angry at him?"

"I'm not mad at him. I'm trying to defend him, Ally. Do you see how much shit he has been getting lately? He's thinking about dropping Starr once this tour is over. He's thinking about retiring what he's doing just to have a normal life, but he will never have a normal life."

"Does he really hate being famous?"  
"To an extent…He likes the friends he has made though. He likes being treated better and he also likes having money. He just hates that he cannot have a normal life. Remember back in high school when Jimmy said he was not a normal teenager?"

Ally nodded and tried to remember.

"He joined the basket ball team and Jimmy told him to quit. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah, I do. Has that stuck with him since?"

"Yes it has. He asks me for advice all the time and I can't tell him a single thing because barely anyone knows who I am.

"If he's friends with so many people, why does he lock himself in the house all the time?"

"He doesn't usually. I don't know why he has lately."

"Is it because of me?"

"Probably not. Austin's just really weird."

Austin walked into the living room after hearing his name. He was curious about what they were talking about, but when Dez said that Austin was weird, there was no need to worry. He figured he would butt into their conversation: letting both of them know that he was home and they can stop talking about him.

"I'm not that weird," Austin's voice filled the hallway.  
"You're pretty weird," Dez rebutted.

"We're all pretty weird, to be honest," Austin sighed.

Ally turned around and noticed how drained he was: his hair was messy, his eyes were slightly bloodshot, and the bags under his eyes have gotten darker. Dez motioned Austin to the kitchen so they could talk about Ally's non-stop question fest.

"You need to tell her," Ally heard Dez whisper.

"How?"

"Just talk to her."

"How, though? I've been wanting to tell her for a while."

"She can see through your lies. Just tell her. She bombarded me when you were at the doctors, which reminds me why did you go to the doctors? You're not due for your physical yet."

"Weird how you know that, Dez, but I actually was. I had to have an early one because we're leaving in a month, remember?"

"Right. I forgot."

* * *

Austin sighed and sat down at counter with his head in his hands. It was going to be complicated explaining to Ally what happened those four years. All the mistakes he has made were haunting him. He was scared, no actually, terrified that she would think way differently about him. He had to face the consequences one day and maybe today was the day. Maybe he was going to be able to tell her the whole truth about those four years of lies and cover-ups.

"I'll tell her," he groaned and got up.

Austin walked into the living room and grabbed Ally by her arm, dragging her into his room. Was she supposed to be scared? This was a side of Austin she has never seen in her life. Surprisingly, she was not scared; she was more worried than scared.

"What is this all about?" she asked as he locked the door. He paced back and forth trying to think of where to start and how to word it. It was all going to come out at once and he knew she'd get confused. "If you're going to drag me into your room, you can at least give me an explanation," she sighed. There was still no response from him whatsoever. All he was doing was pacing and mouthing things.

"Seriously, Austin, what is this all about?" she asked again, her voice peeved. He looked at her and mumbled something, trying to figure out where to begin. Ally was growing impatient and annoyed with him. She had other things to do than watch him pace back and forth.

"Well," she sighed. "When you figure out what you want to say, come get me. I have to work on one of your songs."

Ally got up and reached for the door, but Austin sighed and sat down. "Ally come back here and sit your ass down, we need to talk," he yelled.

She has never heard him be so rough with anyone and now she was terrified. She did what he said and sat down next to him.

"What is this about?" she asked.

"You need to know some things that went on in the past," he mumbled. "It'll take a while."

"I'm listening," she stuttered. She was scared, no actually, terrified. Not only was she nervous about what she was going to hear, but she was terrified over how his temper got to the best of him. This was a side of Austin no one has ever seen.


	24. The Moment

_"You need to know some things that went on in the past," he mumbled. "It'll take a while."_

_"I'm listening," she stuttered. _

Austin opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He finally figured out where to start, but nothing was coming out of his mouth.

"When I was on tour the first time. I grew up too fast. I took the mom and dad role for myself."

"Didn't you have your manager?"

"That's not the point."

"I didn't have my friends and family because I knew my parents would lose the mattress business if they went with me."

"But that's your fault, I would have left school to go with you."

"Ally, stop talking and just listen."

"I would have held you back from college. Trish wanted to be a hairdresser and Dez wanted to go to Hollywood. We all had different dreams and if I took you guys, I would have crushed every single dream of yours," he paused. When he left, she thought he did it to become famous and live his dream without them. She felt used because she was the reason he was where he was. She never once realized that he sacrificed his happiness just so his friends could live their dreams.

"When I left, Trish called me and yelled at me for at least two hours about how much I hurt you. I couldn't live with that, Als. I tried to get off of the tour to come back, but my contract wouldn't let me. Each and everyday I got lonelier and angrier because all of you were furious at me. There came a point in my life when I was Berlin, I had to cancel shows because I had an anxiety attack. Ally, I had a freak out in a hotel room and had to go to a hospital that barely spoke English. Do you know how fucking scary that is?"

She shook her head. She was speechless. She had no idea what to tell him or how to feel.

"Austin, I-" she tried to speak, but he cut her off.

"I left tour early and came back to Florida for a few weeks. I wanted to stop by and see you, but I couldn't. I called you instead, but you hung up. That's when I knew there would be no way in hell that I'd ever see you again, so I started to see other people to get you off of my mind. I am far from fine, Als. I wake up terrified that I messed up in some way and that I'll never be able to fix it. Sometimes I have nightmares of screwing up and I end up waking up in an anxiety attack. I hate myself, Ally. I always have and always will. I am still so fucking mad at myself for putting you, Dez, Trish, Dallas, and my family through hell. I hate myself for all of this." She looked at him still speechless. She went to go open her mouth to talk, but once again was cut off.

"Ally, you scare me to death. I'm scared if I get too close too fast something is going to happen and you'll leave me. I don't want you to leave me. I want to show you that I'm still the same person in high school. I want you to be mine and only mine." His voice trembled and he still never even managed to look at her.

So many thoughts were running through her head. She never knew he dealt with anxiety issues, until she thought about the few months she has lived with him and the airport incident. The days he was distant, were the days he was in his room doing nothing. The way he made sure she was safe wherever they went. The way when he got too close to her, he would immediately push himself back and then vanish for a week. She was piecing every observation about him together. Sometimes they would read articles about him, completely panning him and he would try to fix what he did wrong. He would problem solve everything. He wanted everything to be perfect. The nights he stayed out with Dez because he "needed the guy time." Inside he is still the scared seventeen-year-old boy who left Miami in the blink of an eye. He said he was ready, but he was not. He let his anxiety get to the best of him: completely destroying his happiness and life.

Ally grabbed his hand and he still would not look at her. "Look at me," she whispered.

Austin let out a deep sigh and slowly moved his head up and towards her. She looked at his face; his eyes were puffy and bloodshot. He was crying. He opened up to her for the first time and there was no turning back now. She probably now knew everything about him.

"Austin, screwing up is a part of life. If you have not screwed up once, then you're not human. If you've screwed up many times, there is nothing wrong with it. You're human, you make mistakes, and you're not perfect. I'm not perfect, neither is Dez. None of us are perfect. Everything is just trial and error"

"Ally," he stuttered, but she stopped him.

"I wouldn't be happy with anyone else but you. Austin, us finding each other again was fate and you know it."

"You don't get it, Ally."

"You're right, Austin. I don't get it and I probably never will unless you tell me what I can do to help."

"I don't know how you can help. I don't even know myself"

"Well, first, you need to control your anxiety and anger better."

"I'm working on both of them, I swear."

"Positive?"

"Positive."

"Are you lying?"

"No, Ally, I'm not lying."

He sighed and fell back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. He told her almost everything she needed to know, hoping she'd understand him better.

Ally immediately took his hand into hers and intertwined their fingers together.

"I just want you to be happy, Austin."

"I am happy," he lied, feigning a smile.


	25. Unwinding

"I have a question."

"Hmmmmm?"

"Have you ever thought about replacing me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well if I haven't come around, do you think you'd move on?"

"Well yeah. I probably would move on if I knew there was no chance we'd ever see each other again."

"So you have thought about moving on?"

"Yeah, I have. It's just I need that significant other in my life."

Ouch. Even if he had someone else, he wouldn't be completely happy. Ally was the only one that probably had a five percent chance of fixing him.

"So have you dated girls in the past?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever thought that you wanted to be with them forever?"

"Yeah…It was a while back when I thought I'd never see you again. Do you think I wanted to be alone for the rest of my life waiting on a girl who wouldn't even listen to me after I left?"

"Austin, it hurt me that you left. You kissed and left. What was I supposed to do? Wait for you. Or go to the newsstand and read every single tabloid about you with a different girl each day?"

"You could have listened to me. I tried calling you countless times."

"You called me twice."

"That's not true. I called your house phone and your dad said you weren't home, or you were working or you were with Trish. I even sent you postcards. Did you get them?"

She felt stupid. She had no words to even defend herself. Was he actually telling the truth? Everyone knew that Austin usually told the truth. The only time he lied was when it got him in trouble and even then he was a terrible liar.

"What postcards? I never got a single one…"

Austin groaned and ran out of her room and back into his. He rummaged through a box of things he kept in his closet that reminded him of Ally. He knew he kept a postcard that he wanted to send years ago in there. He never sent it because he was scared of the outcome. Considering she hasn't answered the last thirty he sent, why even bother?

"This," he muttered, handing her the card. "I got it for you in Italy because I know you've always wanted to go to Italy and learn about your family's history. I never sent it because you never answered the other thirty."

Ally flipped the card over and started to read it.

_"Ally,_

_I really don't know why I keep sending these…you never answer them. _

_Anyway, I truly am sorry for everything that happened. Seeing the world without you is not the same. We talked so much about touring the world together in high school and now it's not happening. You were going to get over your stage fright and go on tour with me and we'd finally be right where we wanted to be. This whole thing isn't the same without you. I'm ending this tour early and coming back home to Miami. Hopefully to pick things back up where we left. If you want me out of your life completely, that is fine, but let me tell you one thing._

_I wouldn't be where I am without you and I was an asshole and just left. I need you in my life, Ally. I am literally nothing without you. Maybe one day I'll run into you again and things will be normal._

_This will be my last postcard to you. Once again, I am sorry._

_-Austin"_

She read the last paragraph over and over again. She took a deep breath and sat the card down.

"I'm really sorry," he sighed.

"How come I didn't get the other ones?"

"When did you move?"

"I didn't move with my parents. They moved a year ago. When did you go to Italy?"

"Two years ago."

"Are you sure you sent them?"

"Positive. That was the first thing I did whenever I got to a different place. I picked up a little trinket to give to you one day and a post card."

"Do you still have the trinkets?"

"Come here, I'll show you."

She followed him into his room and immediately saw a small shoebox. In bold, black sharpie, it read "DO NOT OPEN."

"The chain I got you for Christmas? I thought you lost it."

"I did, but when I cleaned my room out, I found a bunch of things."

"DVDs?"

"They're actually everything Dez has videotaped of us in the past."

"Austin…it this what I think it is?" She gasped, picking up her old songbook. "How did you get it? I thought I left it at Sonic Boom."

"No, you left it in my car after I took you to dinner that night. I took it with me all over the world."

"Austin, I looked for this for years. I eventually gave up and started a new book. This can't be real."

He genuinely smiled for the first time in a while. "It is real, Als. This is what brought our partnership together. Why would I throw something so valuable out?"

"I just can't believe you've had my book for so long. Have you written in it?"

"No because I knew it was your diary and I wouldn't want to invade your privacy."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You said 'Don't touch my book' many, many times. I think we all got the message," he stifled a laugh.


	26. Awkward Moments & Parent Advice

Thank you all for reviewing and being so kind :))) It means a lot.

This is a longer chapter to make up for being awol for a while! The story is about halfway done now and there will not be a sequel. I am working on a few new stories though. One is Six Months, which is already up. The other is a Raura story because it was requested through a PM and the other one is a secret. heh!

okay enjoy :)

* * *

There was an awkward moment of silence between them. Neither of them were used to staying up all night and talking like old times.

"Austin?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Nothing. Never mind. It's stupid."

"Nothing you say is stupid, Als. Tell me."

"I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

"Because we just had a heart to heart and I really don't want to flood your mind with too many thoughts and questions."

"O…kay…When you want to talk, I'm here."

"I'm sorry, Austin, but I just feel like you need time to wind down before I annoy you."

"Who said you annoyed me?"

"No one, but I have the feeling I'm annoying you."

"You're not annoying me, Als. If you want to talk, I'm right here."

Ally sighed at his cockiness.

"It's just that. What are we now?"

"I really don't know, Als. What do you want to us to be?"

"I hate that answer because I'm scared if I give you an answer, I'd be forcing you into something you clearly don't want to be in."

Austin placed his hand on hers and intertwined his fingers with hers.

"You wouldn't be forcing me…"

"Then why haven't you pushed things with us?"

"You told me I had once chance and if I messed everything up, you'd leave. I want to keep you in my life as much as possible and I'm scared if we start dating I'll mess it up and I'll never see you again."

"But this _is_ your one chance and you haven't messed anything up…"

Austin looked at her in confusion. After all the times he messed up since she moved here, she never left him. She stayed, despite their agreement in New York. He had nothing to worry about anymore. If she could tolerate living with him, she could definitely tolerate anything.

"You're telling me that this is my chance?"

"Yes, Austin. This is your chance."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it was pretty clear when I moved out here, there was no going back."

"So if I messed up in New York, you wouldn't be here?"

"Correct."

He gave her the glare- the one that could make anyone feel guilty. She did feel guilty not telling him sooner, but he had to figure out sooner or later, or so she thought.

"Sorry I didn't tell you ahead of time, I figured me moving out here would solidify your chance."

"You know I'm slow in catching on to things."

Ally nodded in agreement and started to crack up. Things felt strange between them. She felt like they were back in high school, but at the same time, they were not. Everything was changing for the better and she couldn't be any happier. There were still unanswered questions running through her mind, like the postcards, phone calls, and his visits to Miami. She knew he couldn't answer every question she had, but he could have at least tried.

"So…" Austin's voice trailed off. "Thanksgiving is in a few weeks. What are your plans?" He asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Uh. I wasn't really thinking about the holidays. What are you doing?"

"Dez goes back to Miami and I stay here with my family."

"Should I go back to Florida?"

"I think you should. Also, I'm heading to New York in a few days, would you like to go? You know, to see your old friends and stuff?"

"Yeah, that's be great," Ally awkwardly smiled. Once they ran out of things to talk about, it became awkward. It was unusual for them to run out of things because they always had something to say to each other.

* * *

"I'll be back," Austin yelled through the doorway. "I'm going to my parent's house."

As soon as Austin closed the door, Dez ran into the living room, bombarding Ally with hundreds of questions.

"So you know everything, right?"

Ally shrugged. "I guess so. I mean there are still a few things that are up in the air."

"Like?"

"Like things about us and what we are. It's stupid."

"He's stressed. Like really stressed."

"I get that. He was really tense this morning. Why is he so stressed?"

"I really don't know. He just is."

* * *

Austin drove down the road to his parent's house. He needed to talk to someone besides Ally and Dez. His dad always knew what to tell him.

"Austin, sweetie, I was not expecting you. Is everything okay?" His mom asked a little startled.

"I guess. Is dad home?"

"No. He's out golfing with his friends. What's wrong? You can talk to your mom."

Austin let out a huge sigh and sat down on the couch. "You know Ally's here, right?"

"Yes. Your father and I both knew that."

"I'm just scared, so scared."

"Why are you so scared? She's been your best friend for years. Austin, you put yourself down too much."

"I don't know how to move things between us. I'm scared I'll screw it up and she'll never forgive me."

"She agreed to move out here."

"Yeah for business. She's not the same girl in high school."

"Neither are you."

"No. It's just that in high school, she was so naïve, innocent and cute. Now she is bold, brave, and gorgeous. Mom, she is so different. I know she is in the room next to me, but she still feels so far away."

"If she didn't love you, she wouldn't have moved out here, Austin. There are plenty of opportunities in New York. She could have easily taken one of them, but she came here to be with you. Austin, you're doubting yourself too much."

"Am I?"

"You think of crazy scenarios and then they get stuck in your head, which leads to you doubting yourself. You've been doing it since you were six."

"Have I?"

"Yes, Austin."

"She scares me, though. Because I know that she's still hurt. I just wish I had the nerve to tell her before I left the first time. I can see it in her eyes whenever we talk."

"It takes time, Austin. Don't try to rush it. Now on the more positive note, I'd like to see Ally. I haven't seen her yet. Why don't you bring her over for dinner? Dez too."

"I will when we're back from New York."

"You're going to New York?"

"Yeah."

"What for? I thought you were done all your press stuff."

"I am. I just wanted Ally to see her friends for a little bit."

"Have you told her?"

"Yeah. She knows."

"How are you handling your anxiety?"

"A lot better."

"I know you had an anxiety attack a few days ago. Your doctor called. He recommends you go on antidepressants to cope with your anxiety."

"Mom, you know how I feel about them."

"Austin, you leave for Europe after Christmas. I think you should consider it."

"Fine," he gave in. "But if they screw me up, I'm not taking them anymore."

"That's fine, as long as you give them a chance."

"What about alcohol? Are you controlling yourself?"

"Yes…and I started going to the gym again."

"Are you having protected sex?"

Austin's face turned bright red. He hated when she asked him a million questions about his personal life. He preferred talking to his dad because he avoided those questions with him.

"Yes, mom. I am."

"With Ally?"

"No. We haven't."

"I thought that'd be the first thing you two would do "

"MOM," he groaned.

"What? Your father and I observed the way you two looked at each other when you were teenagers. There was definitely a lot of tension between you two."

"MOM."

"Alright, alright, I'll stop."

"Thank you," he sighed in relief.


	27. New York

Changes

They landed in New York around seven at night. Ally wanted to visit Rachel and the rest of her old crew, but it turns out that Rachel was out of town for a few days and the rest of them were probably partying.

"I asked for two beds," Austin politely informed the concierge.

"Mr. Moon, you asked for a single bedroom with a single bed. We have it here in the notes."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I thought I told you about the change. I think one bed will be fine, though," he smiled. "I don't want to inconvenience you."

"No, no, Mr. Moon. We want to make sure you have the best stay here, if you need another room, that is fine."

"I think one bed will give me a better stay," he laughed.

The concierge caught onto what he was saying and joined Austin in laughing. "Here are your keys, Mr. Moon. Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you," he smiled. "Have a good night, Ethan."

"Austin, there's only one bed."

"And a pull out couch," he added on. "You can take the bed and I can take the couch. It's no big deal."

"I don't mind sharing a bed," she mumbled.

"Good," he laughed. "I hate pull out couches."

"Also, you know New York better than I do. Are there any restaurants around here that are opened late?"

"Yes. There's an Italian restaurant two blocks down that is open until 11:30."

"Great because I'm hungry."

"They're not cheap, though. Rachel and I went there once and it cost us around sixty two for the both of us."

"You're worth the sixty two."

She blushed at his comment. For the first time, she knew things were going to get better between them.

Austin grabbed Ally and pulled her closer to him. Her head was rested against his chest. He didn't say a single word: all he did was hold her and smile.

"I am so damn lucky," he finally spoke. Ally looked up at him and saw that he was genuinely smiling for the first time in a while.

Austin cupped her face in his hands. Her breath hitched as he looked down at her.

"I know this isn't the city of love or anything, but we can pretend it is," he spoke in a hushed tone. "Who knows, maybe it can be the city of love," he whispered, his voice getting quieter.

"Because I know that every second I'm with you, I'm falling more and more in love with you."

Her heart was racing a mile a minute. She was still trying to grasp whether or not this was real life. Was this actually happening?

"Ally?" Austin mumbled, pulling her back into reality.

"Austin?" She questioned.

"You were spacing out…do you just want to get room service? You seem tired."

Ally sighed and sat down on the bed. "No, no. I was just thinking about something."

"You looked really into it."

"It was just about the future. Stupid things."

"All right, Dawson," he laughed. "Come on! I'm hungry."

Ally sighed and opened her suitcase, searching for a jacket. She was so convinced they were going to work. He opened up to her, why was he still so scared?


End file.
